War Torn
by daphrose
Summary: "War is not nice or comfortable or fair. It's pain and struggle and loss and tears. It isn't pretty, but sometimes war is the only way to peace. In the end, it means justice and freedom and love. There will be a lot of scars and heartache and sorrow along the way, to be sure, but isn't that always the case when people are fighting for what's right?" (Sci-fi AU)
1. Prologue

_"Some people say that war is a devastating thing."_

A black scar covers the surface of an otherwise green planet.

 _"That it tears people apart."_

A mother and her child sit in the rubble of a destroyed building. They blink and try to shake the dirt from their faces.

 _"They're right."_

The wind whistles as it blows through an abandoned town. Not a soul is to be seen.

 _"I've seen cities tumble."_

A building topples to the ground, taking many other buildings with it

 _"I've seen people die."_

Cries are heard as a furious battle rages on.

 _"I've seen my own brothers succumb to their darkest instincts."_

A spiky-haired boy stands with his hand raised, his face expressionless. He is choking the helpless man in front of him.

 _"I have struggled to retain my humanity in a fallen galaxy."_

A brunette girl sits in the bathroom, her hands pressed to her face. Tears leak out from between her fingers and her shoulders are shaking.

 _"In a world where I am pressured to do the unthinkable."_

A gun is placed into the hands of a reluctant young girl.

 _"By those I love."_

Two boys stand side-by-side, observing the stars in front of them from the cockpit of their ship.

 _"But it is my duty to fight."_

Several young teens in uniforms salute an unseen leader.

 _"I have sworn to protect the galaxy."_

The teens prepare for battle, observing their enemies on the opposite side of the barren field in front of them.

 _"No one said this was going to be easy."_

The girl kneels in front of a grave. Tears splash onto the tombstone as she places a flower on it.

 _"But no one has a choice."_

The brunette girl is seen again from behind. She stands on a cliff, overlooking a demolished town as the sun sets behind it.

 _"I am Bree Davenport."_

The girl is seen from the side. Her face is hard and three red lines scar her cheek. The wind blows through her hair as she stares resolutely at the sight before her.

 _"And I am war torn."_

 _Starring:_

 ** _Chase Davenport_**

 _"You're not getting any special treatment just because you're related to me. Here, I am your commander, not your brother, and you will treat me as such."_

 ** _Adam Davenport_**

 _"At first I thought it would be fun. But this isn't fun. Losing you . . . that's not fun."_

 ** _Donald Davenport_**

 _"We're in the middle of a war, Bree. I don't have time for this!"_

 ** _Douglas Davenport_**

 _"I don't want this any more than you do, but I don't have a choice!"_

 ** _Marcus Davenport_**

 _"You will never understand what's going on here. We're all just pawns in his game."_

 ** _Victor Krane_**

 _"You, my dear, are the only thing standing between me and ruling the galaxy. You and your brothers_ will _fall."_

 ** _Leo Dooley_**

 _"You can't give up hope now! You're stronger than this. Don't break . . . not like your brothers did."_

 ** _And Bree Davenport_**

 _"I have hoped and prayed that this is all a dream. I hate it. I absolutely hate this."_

Two girls speed through a city on an out-of-control speederbike.

Gunshots echo through the town and someone screams in pain.

A dark-haired boy and his date stand on the edge of the dance floor, observing the well-dressed dancers with sharp eyes.

Thousands of teenagers look up, their eyes glowing bright green.

A brother and sister battle with each other until the boy throws her mercilessly to the floor.

A bald man raises his arms, screaming as power courses through him.

An explosion sends a boy and a girl flying in opposite directions.

In a grim hospital room, a girl wakes up with a gasp.

 ** _War Torn_**

 ** _Coming September 21st, 2015_**

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 **Trailer soundtrack: "Ash" by Secession Studios.**

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 **After one year of planning, scheming, crying, watching, waiting, plotting, brainstorming, ranting, yelling, freaking out, talking, writing, reading, experimenting, sighing, and promoting, it's here! It's finally here! Welcome to War Torn, everyone! I still can't believe it. It's here! So exciting! Man, I hope this lives up to your expectations.**

 **"Why today, daphrose? Why is this going up now?" Glad you asked, dear readers. It just so happens that today is my birthday. :3 So I figured, what better day to post my new favorite story on? Does that work for all of you? A little present to myself, and to you guys too. ;3**

 **Fun disclaimer-y stuff here: War Torn is rated T for war, battles, blood, character death, torture, imprisonment, massacres, explosions, one or two (literally that many) mildly harsh words, and all that fun stuff. It's a war story. I don't even see why I would need to warn you.**

 **It is also important to note that this story is a** ** _huge_** **AU. First of all, it's set in space. (A distant galaxy;** ** _not_** **our future.) Quite a few other things are different, but I'm sure you'll pick up on them as time goes on. For example, in this story, Adam, Bree, and Chase are not the only bionics, nor are they even the first. You'll see what else is different as you read.**

 **I'll be doing soundtracks for this story, so feel free to listen to the songs I suggest while you read. I listened to them while writing, after all! They come highly recommended, even if you don't want to listen while reading. Links will be posted on my profile so you can find them easily.**

 **Why am I still holding you up? It's time to get to the gigantic story I've been promising you all for a year now. I do not own Lab Rats, but I do own this story, and please don't steal it, because I worked way too hard on it for someone else to take credit. I also own any OCs, planets, tech, and anything else that you don't recognize. I sincerely hope you enjoy!**

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 **Prologue soundtrack: "Ready Aim Fire" by Imagine Dragons**

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 *** * * Prologue * * ***

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The sky was lit up like a New Year's Day tree. Another explosion rocked one of the small ships flying through the atmosphere. The two men inside gripped the handholds on the ceiling and gritted their teeth. "Ever been in a firefight, General?" the younger of the two said.

The older man—though not older by much—laughed. "Do you think I'd be a general if I hadn't?" He looked the other man square in the eye. "Have you, Lieutenant?"

"A few times," he mumbled, glancing out the porthole. "And I know for a fact that it's not supposed to look like that." He looked up again. "General Davenport . . . we're losing, aren't we?"

General Davenport stood stone-faced. Inside him a hundred emotions reeled, but he couldn't let the teen in front of him know that. "It's safe to say that our commander-in-chief better have a pretty good plan. That's where I'm headed."

"Well, if anyone could talk to him, you can." The lieutenant dragged his boot across the ground and swallowed. "You know, you seem awfully young to be in such a high position."

General Davenport laughed again. "So do you."

"But you're second-in-command of an army of millions, and you're . . . what?"

"Twenty-four. How about you? Fourteen?"

"Eighteen."

"Close enough. Boy, I might be young, but I've seen enough."

"Yeah, I can tell by that look in your eye. You're no stranger to war, are you, sir?"

"Well, I've only been at this for four years, but I've been there from the beginning." He hung his head and mumbled, "It's all my fault anyway."

"But you love it, don't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. It's kinda funny to watch them all scramble around like ants, trying to be the army that gets out on top." He smirked.

General Davenport turned his attention out the porthole. Below on the surface of the planet, he could see the two armies clashing in a violent display. The only way to tell them apart was the black uniforms of one verses the green of the other—that was when you could find those colors amidst the orange . . . and red. Something stirred in the general as he realized that the troops under his command fought on the battlefield only to die. Usually he felt nothing when he saw them slaughtered, but something about this fight was different. He could feel the change in the air.

"You seem distracted, sir," the lieutenant said.

"I am, to be honest. I lost something very important this week."

"Do you mind my asking what it is?"

General Davenport sighed. He wasn't one to get sappy, but the burden on his chest was getting too heavy to carry on his own. "My children, Lieutenant," he whispered.

For a few seconds it was silent, until the boy said, "You had kids?"

"Three amazing children. But my brother snatched them away. They were incredibly special."

The lieutenant understood. "Do you plan to get them back?"

General Davenport snorted. "What do you think? Of course I am. The only thoughts in my head are ones of revenge."

"Your brother's an Ally—an enemy . . . ain't he, sir?"

"Yes, he is."

"Then you've got plenty of time for revenge."

Another blast shook the ship, and the two young men fell into the wall. The older one wiped his brow. The heat from the fires a few miles below and the rockets flying around them began to get to him. He stripped off his coat and let it drop to the floor. Almost immediately he could feel the lieutenant's stare fixed on his arm. He laughed.

"Never seen a scar before, kid?"

"Not one that looks like that, sir."

"Well, it's fresh. Still a wound, I guess. My brother gave that to me." General Davenport glanced at the gash that stretched from his shoulder to his elbow. "That was after I found out he took my kids. To his credit, he was going to pull a gun, but opted for the knife instead."

"Must've been a pretty big knife."

"It was. He stood above me, looking ready to kill, and instead threw the weapon down with a yell. He walked away, leaving me to yank a knife out of my arm."

The lieutenant let out a low whistle. "In that case, sir, I'd dare to suggest that he isn't your brother anymore."

General Davenport laughed, but it had no mirth. "Not at all." He stared out the porthole again. "But I don't think we've been brothers for a long time."

The ship shook once more, but this time the shaking was accompanied by an odd grinding sound. The soldiers glanced at each other and rushed to the front of the ship. "What's going on, Captain?" the lieutenant asked the man in the cockpit.

"We've been hit," the captain said, flipping numerous unmarked switches. "They got the starboard engines. One more hit and we'll go down for sure."

"Can't you do something?"

"What do I look like, a mechanic? I can either fly it or fix it, so unless you want to crawl out there with a wrench, it's not getting fixed until we land, little soldier boy!"

The lieutenant leaned back, his face beet-red. General Davenport shook his head. "Lieutenant, he's not in a position above you. Are you going to let him talk to you like that?"

The lieutenant perked up. "Yeah, he's right. Captain, I am your superior, and you will address me as such!"

The captain looked shocked, but another loud explosion stopped him from replying. "There goes the engine," he mumbled. "I'd find something to hold onto, gentlemen. This beast is falling."

Already they could see the ground outside the window getting closer. "To the middle of the ship!" General Davenport said, ushering the young man back to the main hold. The force of the drop sent them flying into the wall. The general gripped his head and concentrated on his breathing, trying to drive away the sickening feeling of falling. He also tried not to think about the hard ground that got inevitably closer with every passing second.

The drop seemed to take forever and no time at all. Before either of them knew what was happening, the ship shook and jolted violently—it had collided with the ground. General Davenport fell to the floor and attempted to ignore the pain exploding in his head. He sat up, his breathing shaky. The lieutenant sat in the corner, one hand on his chest and the other on the wall.

"First crash, Lieutenant?" the general asked.

The younger man could only nod his head.

General Davenport stood up and scanned the hold of the ship. The inside had remained virtually undamaged, though the ship was on its side and some parts of the wall had twisted and bent to match the ground beneath it.

The general walked to the keypad and tried to open the side door, but the computer system was fried. Too frustrated to fix it, he whipped out one of the weapons strapped to his leg and blasted a hole in the side of the ship. "This thing ain't flying again anytime soon anyway," he mumbled. He turned back to the shuddering lieutenant and said, "We should get out before the Allies blow this thing to kingdom come. Out, boy."

The two of them emerged into broad daylight, the captain just behind them. They had crashed in a field of dry grass, not too far from the town where all the fighting was taking place. The explosions that had looked so bright and large from the air looked even more so on the ground. It felt like an earthquake, and the screams and gunshots were deafening.

"I know where to go from here," General Davenport said, surveying their location. "Our commander-in-chief's building is just on the edge of town. I should be able to get there without any trouble."

"I'll escort you, sir," the lieutenant said.

"I'll stay here," the captain mumbled. "I'm an airman, not a soldier. I'm finding the closest base and getting out of here!" With that, the captain ran off, towards an edge of the field that looked like something of an infirmary for their army.

"Lieutenant, I don't need an escort," the general said. "You're more needed in their fight." He stuck out his chin towards the town where the two armies charged each other. "Your men need you."

The younger man nodded. "I understand. I hope you and the, uh, _big guy_ can come up with a good plan. Some of those people out there . . . sir, they're my friends."

"Understood, Lieutenant. But you should also remember that we're in war. There's not much room for friendship here."

He hung his head. "I know, sir."

"Don't worry, kid, we'll come up with something. And hey, stop calling me 'sir' already. And don't bother with 'General Davenport' either. It's too much of a mouthful. Call me Douglas."

The lieutenant nodded. "Thank you, s—Douglas." With that, he took off towards the fray, blaster out of its holster and a dangerous look in his eye. He was a good soldier, Douglas—for he preferred to be called Douglas—observed.

Now it was time for Douglas to head back to the headquarters where he was needed. He stepped lightly across the field, hand close enough to the blaster at his side to be ready to pull it at any moment.

Douglas made it to the town without any trouble. As he got closer, the gunshots only got louder. The sickening sounds of snapping bones and the disturbing smell of burning flesh made him uneasy. No fight had ever gotten so bad for them. He was far enough from the center of the fighting, but he could tell that they had already lost—it was pointless to think otherwise.

The sound of a gun being cocked pulled him out of his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, Douglas could see a young man in a green uniform pointing a gun at his back. Douglas turned slowly to face the man, raising his hands as if in a gesture of surrender.

"Well, well, well," the man sneered. "Look what I caught: a Rev sneaking through the back alleys. And not just any Rev either." He took a step closer. "General Douglas Davenport. This is my lucky day."

Douglas shrugged. "So you caught me. Now what?"

"Now I take you back to face justice, traitor!"

Douglas laughed. "Oh, so you know about that."

"All the high ranking officers do."

"High ranking? So, tell me, how should I address you?"

"Major. I'm Major Kern Amsmith. Not that it's any of your business." Major Amsmith walked even closer so his gun was a few inches from Douglas's chest. "And if you refuse to come with me, Davenport, I'll save myself the trip and kill you where you stand."

"Well—Amsmith, was it?—I'm afraid that's not going to work."

"What are you going to do? I'll shoot you if you move."

"You can try."

The ground shook from a nearby explosion. Douglas ducked and tapped his wrist cuff to activate a force field in front of his body. The major's bullet bounced off harmlessly. Douglas dropped the field and whipped out his own weapon.

 _I was never a killer. No one raised me to be a killer. But . . . this is war._

The major was terribly undertrained anyway, Douglas decided. That was why it was so easy to do the deed. He stuck his smoking blaster back into its holster and took off for the building he was to meet his partner in.

 _That man had a family!_

 _So did you, but did your brother care? Did the Alliance care? Why should you care?_

 _This is war . . ._

 _This is war . . ._

The general charged into the building and stormed up the stairs. While gunshots continued to ring out down in the streets below, Douglas slammed the apartment door shut behind him, chest heaving. He straightened his hair and stood up, facing his partner.

"It's over," Victor Krane growled.

Douglas swallowed but didn't reply. Facing Krane's rage was always painful—even worse than battles and facing an Ally major.

"Isn't it?" Krane continued. He moved to the window, dark coat swirling around him dramatically.

"We're outnumbered." Douglas walked over and joined Krane. The window had a much better view of the city, and Douglas could now see that the scene below the building was truly one of a massacre. Bodies lay everywhere, enemies and allies side-by-side. What would've once made Douglas smile sadistically now only made him sick. "It's a slaughter out there."

Krane scowled and moved around the apartment with his hands behind his back. Douglas leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He tried to block out the screams coming from down below them.

"So?" Douglas asked. "What now?"

Krane lowered his head. "It _is_ over . . . for now. Let the Alliance think they've won. For now, we retreat."

"What? You're suggesting we turn our backs and run like cowards?"

"I'm suggesting we rethink our strategy. We'll be out of their hair for a little while, but when we'll come back, we'll be stronger than ever. It's far better than surrender, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll allow them to think they've won, but this war is _far_ from over."

Douglas took a deep breath and looked down at the rows of soldiers fighting and dying. "What about them?"

"What about them?"

"Do we just leave them there to die?"

"They're sacrifices for the greater good here. We can't take them with us."

"So you're not even going to try to save them?"

"Why would I? We can get more. In fact, from the shadows, I bet we can get millions more. What's the matter, Douglas? Don't tell me you actually care for them."

"No, I was just . . . wondering, is all."

There it was again: that stupid twang of guilt. It ate away at him slowly, and he had learned to despise it. Those insane thoughts flooded his mind and made him cringe. Thoughts like this whole war was his fault in the first place, and people were dying because of him. If only he had stayed loyal. Betrayal seemed to cost more than he had originally thought. . . .

No, he couldn't think like that. He liked what Krane was doing, even if it was a bit . . . unorthodox, to say the least. Still, Douglas had no doubt that he was on the right side of history.

 _Okay, maybe there's a little doubt . . ._

"Douglas." Krane's voice was cold, and Douglas flinched. He hadn't even heard Krane come up behind him.

"Yes?" he said as calmly as he could, not daring to turn around.

"You're not second-guessing yourself, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Don't tell me that you're actually beginning to care. You'd better not think about betraying me. I'm not like them—the side you were once on. They were only mad; they only could be mad, and nothing more. I have the power to destroy you . . . _permanently_. Do not fail me, General Davenport."

"No, sir," Douglas said through clenched teeth. _What did I get myself into?_

The building shook and shouts came from below their feet. It was do or die time. If they didn't act now, they would be taken to jail—or worse.

"Now's the time, Douglas. Can you pull this off?"

"Look who you're talking to. We'll disappear like we never existed in the first place. The Alliance will think we're dead. Piece of cake."

"Good. Then get it ready."

Douglas obeyed, grabbing the necessary supplies from the small apartment. He glanced out the window once more and saw a ship looming in the evening sky. On its side was painted the large _BB_ that he had learned to loathe. It hurt that they wouldn't bring down that _BB_ today.

"Tell me you have a plan," Douglas said as he grabbed the grenade from the cabinet under the kitchen sink.

"Fall back and regrow the army. We shouldn't have been so forward in our attacks. This time, we'll take as long as we need to get things ready. Years if necessary! The Alliance can enjoy their peace for a little while, but after that we will come in stronger than ever. Patience, Douglas. They will be destroyed in time."

"And I will contribute to their downfall in any way possible."

"I'm glad to see that you are no longer loyal to them."

"I don't want to be in a place where my ideas are tossed aside or molded to fit the beliefs of everyone else involved. They took my greatest scientific achievements and destroyed them. They . . . they called me a kid!"

"The young mind is brilliant. It's sad they failed to see that."

The footsteps grew louder until they were right outside the door. Someone pounded on the wood and screamed, "By order of the Bionic Battalion, a division of the Galactic Alliance of Planets, I demand you open this door now!"

"It's open," Douglas called, a smirk on his face. "Come on, Krane. It's time to shake these goons." The two men stood closer together. Douglas held his newly crafted device behind his back, ready for the moment of detonation. "Get ready, and follow my lead. After the blast goes off, grab me and we can geoleap to the mountains. We'll have to hide out there until the Allies have left, which, with any luck, shouldn't be too long. Oh, and be sure not to geoleap until it looks like we've actually died from the blast. Pretty much not until it hurts really bad."

"This isn't _actually_ going to kill us, is it, Davenport?"

"No, no! Probably . . ." Douglas looked up at Krane's angry face. "Look, the only thing I'm worried about is the fact that it'll mess up my hair. As long as you get us out of here at the right time, we won't die, but they'll think we're dead."

"This had better work."

The door fell to the ground and several troops swarmed the room. Douglas caught sight of one all-too-familiar face in the back. It was none other than his dear brother, his face twisted with rage and sorrow.

 _This is me now, Donald. Get over it._

Donald wore the same army uniform as the rest of the soldiers, despite not having the same powerful abilities as them. Various weapons were strapped to his belt; weapons that he intended to use on his brother.

"You're surrounded!" one troop yelled. "Surrender!"

Krane laughed. "Never."

Donald had pushed his way to the edge of the troops. He stood several meters away from Douglas, but they could still see one another. Locking eyes with Douglas, he mouthed, _You were once my brother!_

Douglas mouthed back, _Emphasis on were._

Would Douglas really do this? Could he?

Yes, he could, he decided. Who knew how this decision would impact the future, but right now he was entirely sure it was the right choice. There was no going back.

"Goodbye, gentlemen," Krane said with a smirk. "It's been a pleasure."

Douglas wouldn't be so formal. He put two fingers to his head and tipped them away, saying, "So long, suckers!"

He held out the bomb and detonated it. The ensuing blast would be enough to blow all the soldiers back, compromise the structural integrity of the apartment building, and make it appear as if Krane and Douglas were actually dead. If luck was on their side, however, they would make it out at just the right time to live to fight another day.

Donald would think that Douglas was dead. He would believe that his brother had killed himself rather than surrender. To be honest, Douglas wasn't too upset at that thought. There was only one thing he wished for, so he thought about it as if he could send the message to Donald telepathically.

 _Take good care of the kids for me. I know you don't believe me, but I really do love them. Teach them to be heroes in a way I never could. If one day I have to fight against my own flesh and blood, so be it. At least then I would be able to see their faces again. Goodbye, Donnie. See you in our next battle, whenever and wherever it may be._

Flames engulfed the room, and Douglas screamed in pain.

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 **So it begins.**

 **I know a lot of people don't like prologues, but this is setting things up for future events. Plenty of foreshadowing here.**

 **Before we end this chapter, though, there's a few people I seriously need to thank:**

 ** _crystaltears24_** **for beta-reading this story and being my musical consultant.**

 ** _Casey Storm_** **for beta-reading this story.**

 ** _soccermonkey413_** **for being my creative consultant.**

 **And last but absolutely not least,** ** _Tie Dye Pencils_** **for being my illustrator and creative consultant. She deserves as much credit as I do for this story; she's been listening to me rant about it and giving me ideas for a whole year. A whole year!**

 **Give these folks a round of applause! This story would not be what it is today without these four lovely people. You can also see Tie Dye's work and pictures from this story on her DeviantArt page (her username there: Drama26). Links will be posted on my profile page, towards the bottom. Check her pictures out!**

 **Special thanks as well to all those who submitted OCs to my forum: ereader12, theblackqueen1, unknownfangirl10, TheMeepyFreak, Writer207, Kaitlyn Grace W, Clarity665, BeautifulSupernova, Tie Dye Pencils, StripedFuzzySocks, PrincessSparkleKitty, girlbird3, and purpledolphin05. The forum is still open for those who would like to submit an OC to appear later on in the story. No submissions by review, however. It will be ignored and/or deleted. Please head over to the forum to do that. (Link on profile.)**

 **Thank you so much for checking out this prologue to my sci-fi epic, War Torn. I hope it was to your liking. Reviews are always welcome. Let me know what I did well and what I did wrong. Writers can always benefit from both those things. I am not entirely sure when the first chapter will go up; before the end of the month, hopefully. I already have nine chapters (plus this prologue) done. My War Torn document is 115 pages and over 33,000 words already. And baby, I'm just getting started! So keep an eye out for the first chapter, and if things go well, I'll post it soon.**

 **I do have to say this real quick: My wrist has been giving me serious trouble lately, which means I haven't been able to write all week. Maybe I shouldn't even now, but I just** ** _have_** **to post this today. However, that means other stories won't be updated anytime soon. Sorry, guys, but I just don't want to hurt my hand more. (Prayers from my Christian friends would be appreciated.)**

 **That all being said, I'm fairly certain I should be able to post again soon. In the meantime, I have a birthday to get to. ;) See you all soon! Bye!**

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 ** _Glossary and Pronunciation Key_**

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 **Ally (say: al-ie) - Nickname for an Alliance soldier fighting for the Galactic Alliance of Planets.**

 **Bionic Battalion - Special division of the Galactic Alliance of Planets' army made up of bionic soldiers.**

 **Blaster - A weapon which fires small laser bolts at a target, causing damage that ranges from stunning to killing, depending on the blaster. It is important to note that blasters and guns are not the same; blasters fire lasers (called "bolts") while guns fire bullets.**

 **Galactic Alliance of Planets (GAP) - A democratic government system where different planets come together in a loose alliance to make decisions for the galaxy. Though the individual planets may have their own governments, they answer to GAP. (Real life comparison: United Nations [UN], though with a bit more power.)**

 **Kern Amsmith (say: kurn am-smith)**

 **New Year's Day: A day of festivities in the galaxy on the first day of the year; a galactic holiday. (Real life comparison: Christmas.)**

 **Rev: Nickname for a Revolutionary soldier fighting for Victor Krane.**


	2. Chapter 1: Beautiful Day

**Not even forty-eight hours later, and here's chapter one! I just couldn't help myself. Hey, I finished writing chapter ten three minutes ago, so why not post another chapter now? You guys deserve it! I mean, twenty-five reviews on a prologue?** ** _Wow!_** **Thanks so much!**

 **However, there's some guest reviewer who was going around flaming stories** ** _in my name_** **. Now, I sent them a warning through my profile. Yesterday they warned me about flaming more, but today they apologized. Now, since it's a guest, I don't technically know if it's the same person (pardon me for being cynical; this has happened before), but if it is, thank you very much for apologizing, and I forgive you. That was big of you. :) If you want to make an account, I'd love to message you! And if the apologizer was not the same person as the original flamer (again, it's happened before), well, they've threatened to flame other stories, so, dear readers, please go check out the top of my profile to learn more (in case they flame you). But I'm hoping for the best here and they really did apologize. :)**

 **Yeesh, fanfiction drama. -_- FFN is my high school, folks!**

 **Anyway, on to the happy stuff, thanks for all the birthday wishes! ^_^ I had a great one, so thank you all very much! I'm glad you like the story so far. I have many plans for it.**

 **One more thing I forgot to say last chapter! All family relations in this story are** ** _exactly_** **the same. I basically snatched up the characters and put them in a different setting. They are all still a family and related in the exact same way they are in the canon. Just so there's no confusion.**

 **Now, I know you guys are all excited for the action, but this chapter is quite different from the last. Bree will explain it in the opening paragraphs. ;) It's fair to say that this chapter is slower; however, that doesn't mean it is "filler" or unimportant. To the contrary, this chapter is vital and contains** ** _oodles_** **of foreshadowing. See how much you can catch! ;) Also, just so you know, this chapter takes place roughly thirteen years after the prologue.**

 **Quick note: The "you" Bree speaks to in this story is actually a character from the story (you'll learn who later on), not** ** _you_** **the reader. It's only this once, but I thought I'd let you know.**

 **So with those warnings in place, get ready to learn what Bree's normally abnormal life is like. ;) I don't own Lab Rats, only OCs, planets, species, and anything else you don't recognize. Oh, and see how many references to the canon you can spot in this chapter! I slipped them in there. Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 1 soundtrack: "Stand Out" by Sabrina Carpenter**

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 *** * * Chapter 1: Beautiful Day * * ***

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All good stories start at the beginning. The thing is, the beginning isn't always an explosion. Some stories don't start off with a bang, something to make the listener scratch their head and wonder what crazy world they got thrown into.

My story doesn't start that way.

Don't get me wrong; my life was never normal. However, I didn't ever think it could get as crazy as it got. The bangs came soon enough, but it started off slow. In only a few days my life would change forever, but of course I didn't know that at the time.

So my story starts off slow. It has its ups and downs, quick times and boring times, bangs and bumps and whispers. Above all, I guess, it's a story about life. Our lives go up and down like roller coasters, and for two years, that's how my life was . . . but I guess you knew some of that already.

This is a story for you, but from here on out I won't be talking _to_ you. I'll be writing a story for you, and you'll be in it, but I don't feel like breaking out of the story to talk you. Listen and hear what I have to say, about my life, about war and peace, about betrayal, about death, about you and me and everyone else in this crazy mess.

It may not be the best story ever written; I've never done anything like this before. But I'll try for you. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll let other people read it too. So, here it goes:

On the first day, the day it all really began, nothing spectacular happened. In fact, it was just like any other day. The alarm went off, playing a peppy tune to get me out of bed. It only half-worked. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow. _There's school today,_ I thought. _And life. No thanks._

The tune continued, and the pitch rose. It was one of my favorite songs, and one I was guilty of dancing to when I thought no one was watching. Finally I lifted my face and threw my covers off. Time to face the day.

I stood up and stared out my window. Sunlight streamed in, flooding the room with orange light. Mission's sunrises were beautiful, some said. I had to agree. Birds chirped outside the window and the yellow trees swayed in the wind. I rubbed my eyes and decided that maybe the day would not be so bad. Besides, that meant it was one day closer to the weekend, and that thought alone got me ready to get up and get going.

My electronic closet whirred as it pulled out the clothes I requested. I threw them on, checking myself in the mirror to make sure it looked right. I took a seat at my vanity, brushing through my hair and applying minimal makeup. I slipped on a light green headband to compliment my outfit. I smiled at myself. _Approved_.

I grabbed my backpack off the back of my desk chair and hurried out the door. I flew down the stairs two at a time, ignoring the calls of my stepmom to be careful. I jumped down the last three steps and landed firmly on the floor.

"You look ready for today," my stepbrother Leo noted.

"Not at all," I said, shaking my head as I grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter. "But the sooner I get today done, the sooner tomorrow will come. I've been waiting all month for it."

"We'll miss you," my stepmom Tasha said.

"We'll only be gone for two days," I said as I took a bite of the apple and threw a piece of bread into the toaster. "You could even come if you wanted."

"I don't think we'd fit in."

"Probably not," I agreed. "I mean, you guys are great, but bionic people . . . they have a different way of looking at things sometimes."

"We couldn't relate," Leo said. "As much as I'd like to."

"You're not getting bionics," Tasha said, shooting him one of those mom-glares I had heard about but had never actually seen.

"But you're married to a billionaire now!"

"Money's not the problem. It's the danger! I'm worried enough about Adam, Bree, and Chase. I've heard the stories of their _missions_. You're not going on those."

"But—"

"End of discussion!"

I watched the whole exchange with amusement. "You two have had this argument before?"

"Only a hundred times," Leo sighed.

"Having bionics isn't all fun and games," I said. I took the toast out and started spreading some yyana-butter on it. My favorite!

"Listen to your sister, Leo!"

"Yeah, yeah," Leo grumbled.

"Speaking of siblings, have Adam and Chase come down yet? And where's Mr. Davenport?"

"Donald's down in the lab. I think he's getting ready for tomorrow. Adam and Chase still haven't come down."

There was some loud yelling, followed by something tumbling down the stairs. I turned to see my younger brother, Chase, hop to his feet and look around frantically. Then he grinned and sauntered over to us.

"See, Mom!" Leo protested. "If I got bionics, I could fall down the stairs and not even get a scratch!"

"It's really not as fun as it looks," Chase said, shaking his head. He never lost his grin. "But after fourteen years of Adam throwing me down them as part of his 'morning ritual,' I guess I'm just used to it."

"It makes for great entertainment," I said, taking a bite of my toast. "Even more so now that we have to go to school in the mornings. When they get late and have to rush, it's hilarious to watch." I started laughing.

"And you're not hurt, honey?" Tasha asked worriedly.

"Oh please," Chase said, waving a hand. "It's all in good fun."

Adam appeared suddenly at the top of the stairs. "Good morning!" he bellowed. "What's for breakfast?"

"It's get-it-yourself morning," Tasha told him.

"I call the powdered sugar cookie doughnut o's!" He ran down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen, pushing Chase aside to get to the counter.

"Here's how I get even with him," Chase whispered to Tasha and Leo.

Adam opened the cupboard and pulled out his favorite cereal. He put it down and reached up for a bowl. Chase held up his hand and the cereal began to fly through the air.

"Chase!" Adam screamed.

Chase just laughed and lifted the cereal higher. Adam started jumping to try to get the box back. We ducked out of the way as he climbed up onto the counter and reached out for it.

"I could do this all day!" Chase laughed.

"Almost got it!" Adam grunted. There was a sudden _squish_ sound and a sheepish, "Whoops," from my older brother.

"Adam!" I cried. "That was my breakfast!"

Adam lifted his foot, revealing my toast. It now had an imprint of his tennis shoe on the top. "I think it's still good."

"Fine, then you have it," I said in disgust.

Adam plopped down onto the counter. He picked up the toast and took a bite. Everyone else in the room gagged, including Chase, who promptly dropped the box of cereal. It opened up and cereal flew everywhere.

"Ugh!" Adam cried. "Is this yyana-butter? Gross!"

"That is disgusting," Leo said, rolling his eyes up into his head.

"I agree!" Adam said with a scowl.

"Honey, throw that away," Tasha said, a hand on her stomach.

"Lost my appetite," Chase mumbled.

"Good morning, dear family of mine!" Mr. Davenport called as he entered the room.

"Well, you seem happy," Tasha said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Productive night?"

"Very!" he said. "Hey, Chase, catch!"

Chase reflexively caught the small object that was tossed at him. He held it up and observed it. To me it just looked like a round metal ball. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, his grin widening.

"It's exactly what you think it is," my father said with his classic proud smirk. "Try it out."

Chase tilted his arm back and threw the ball at the front door. Then he held his hand out. Right before the ball made contact with the door, it reversed its direction and flew right back into Chase's hand.

"Magic ball! Sweet!" Adam exclaimed. "Can it predict the future too?"

"It's not magic," Chase explained. "I can control it with my magnetism app."

"You had to _invent_ a metal ball?" Leo asked. Then in a dry tone he added, "Really?"

"It's only a prototype," Mr. Davenport said. "I'll do more work on it to add other features. Maybe make it into a bomb or something. If he can learn to control these balls, they could really come in handy on missions."

"Bionics aren't enough?"

"Not always. Especially if you have to fight other bionics."

"I didn't even know there were still evil bionics."

"There aren't, but you never know when they might show up again. And even if they don't—and it's doubtful they will—what's the matter with having a few extra weapons along? They need everything they can get to protect themselves."

"Hey, watch me do it with my eyes closed!" Chase announced. He shut his eyes and tossed the ball—right at me. It smacked the center of my forehead and fell to the ground.

"Ow!" I screamed in protest.

"Oh, uh, whoops," Chase said, rubbing a hand on the back of his head. "Sorry, Bree."

"You okay, Bree?" Mr. Davenport asked.

"Fine," I assured him, rubbing my forehead. "But I think I'm going to head to school now."

"Wait up, I haven't eaten breakfast!" Chase said.

"You said you lost your appetite."

"I was only kidding! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm not missing it."

"And I still want cereal," Adam added. He knelt down and tried to eat the pieces that had fallen on the floor. Chase promptly smacked him.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm leaving. See you losers later."

"Wait, Bree, I'm ready!" Leo said, grabbing his backpack. "Can I walk with you?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "Bye, Mr. Davenport, Tasha!"

"Bye, honey!" Tasha called. "Have a good day!"

Leo and I walked out the door together into the beautiful morning air of Mission. The sun shone down on us as the two moons set in the east. We walked down the hill outside our mansion, heading for the lovely little town of Creek.

"You and your brothers . . ." Leo said after a few seconds of silence.

"You've never had siblings, huh?" I asked.

"Not until you three. It's only been a few months, but I can already tell how crazy things can get around here."

"Trust me, that's nothing. Welcome to the Davenport family, Leo!"

"Speaking of Davenport, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Shoot." I quickened my pace a little so I wouldn't fall down the hill. Leo followed, staring up into the bright yellow leaves of the trees on either side of us.

"Why do you call Big D 'Mr. Davenport' and not 'Dad'?"

I let my feet drag a bit and watched the rocks that were loosened from the road roll down the slope. "He's not our dad," I said.

"What? Then who is?"

"We don't know. We don't really talk about it. . . . It's just something we take for granted. Don't get me wrong; Mr. Davenport is the closest thing we've ever had to a father, and we love him very much. But deep down we all know that—biologically—he isn't our real dad."

"Whoa. And you still love him?"

"Of course. You love him, but he's not your real dad either."

"I guess that's true."

"I spent every day for fourteen years with him. Adam and Chase too. I'm glad to be going to school now. I have a lot more friends than I did growing up."

"Why did he keep you out of school for so long?"

"He wanted to make sure our bionics wouldn't glitch . . . which basically means they malfunction. He wanted to train us to be heroes. And he's smart enough to teach us himself. But I did miss having that social part. Mr. Davenport can be pretty overprotective. Having friends that I get to see every day is fun." I glanced around and motioned to Leo. "Follow me."

Together we walked off the road and into the trees. The hill sloped down steeply and I used my super-speed to hurry down it.

"No fair!" Leo called.

I sighed and ran back to the top. Grabbing my stepbrother's hand, I sped him down to the bottom. We stood beneath all the trees, leaves crunching beneath our feet.

"Whoa! That was awesome!"

"This is my secret path to school," I said. "It's beautiful down here. This way."

"Thanks for showing it to me," Leo said as we pushed our way through low-hanging vines.

"You should feel lucky. Not even Adam and Chase know about it."

After only a few minutes of walking through the trees, we emerged at the edge of town. The school was further down the street. I grinned at Leo and started running. He yelled after me to slow down, but I just laughed and kept going.

Once I was at front of the school, I stopped and waited for Leo. "No fair!" he panted as he ran up.

"I wasn't even using my super-speed," I teased.

Leo just glared at me. Together we walked into the hall. It was still a few minutes before school would begin. Some students mingled about, talking to each other or storing their books in their locker. That's right: our school was so old, they still used books.

"Hey, space wasters!" a harsh voice called.

We turned around reluctantly to come face-to-face with the ruling tyrant of Creek High School, Principal Perry. She was a Zarwekian, a race known for their sturdy structures, red hair, and unpleasant attitudes. How she became a principal of a high school, I would never know.

"Why aren't you in class?" she asked.

"It hasn't started yet," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Keep up that attitude and you'll be getting detention, missy!"

I widened my eyes and turned to Leo.

"We were just heading to class, Principal Perry," my stepbrother assured her.

"Well, you'd better get to it. It's not like you losers have anything else to do with your lives." She started chuckling and waddled away.

"I don't get her," I said, shaking my head. "I really don't."

"Just don't get on her bad side."

"I'm pretty sure it's too late. Plus, does she even have a _good_ side?"

"Probably not," Leo admitted with a grin.

As I put my books in my locker and Leo put his in his locker, which was three down from mine, Adam and Chase came into the school. We greeted each other and almost immediately went our separate ways. Adam had his Thesal class first—a language he was far from mastering—Chase had robotics, and Leo and I had history. So once again Leo and I were walking down the hall together.

"We start learning about the Bionic War today!" he said excitedly as we neared the classroom.

I groaned. "Oh, man, I completely forgot!"

"What, you don't like the Bionic War? I would think you would. I mean, weren't you involved in it or something?"

"I doubt it, but I wouldn't remember. I was only two when it ended. I know that Mr. Davenport contributed to a lot of the bionic research. Believe me, I've heard about Krane's bionic army and his defeat and his death enough times to know it by heart. It's just boring now. Couldn't we learn about the history of Mission? It seems more productive to learn about the history of your own home planet instead of the history of the galaxy."

"This is coming from a bionic girl who frequently travels to other planets to protect them?"

"Quit stereotyping. I should be allowed a break from caring about the galaxy!"

We entered the classroom and I collapsed into my chair. Leo took his seat near the back. A few people said hello to me and I smiled at them. Then I pulled out a pencil and tapped it on the desk, waiting for our lesson to start.

Mr. Farne walked into the room with his usual slow, steady gait. He was a Felusian, so he had the long brown robes that his species usually wore. The students had long since learned to ignore the large nose that dangled well below his chin—it was long even for a Felusian—but occasionally we would joke about it while eating in the cafeteria.

"Take your seats, class!" he called out in a blubbering tone. He tapped some papers together on the desk and shouted the command one more time. When we had settled into our seats, his lips split apart in a grin. "Today we talk about one of my favorite subjects: The Bionic War."

I groaned internally. It was an interesting subject, really. One that was very personal to me and my family. But I had heard the story so many times I could recite it in my sleep. Hearing about soldiers and wars was not really my interest. At the moment, though, I didn't have a choice.

"In 0 ATE, the Treaty of Evesent was signed. That moment marked the formation of the Galactic Alliance of Planets. By having a place where governments of various planets could work out their problems without resorting to fighting, the galaxy remained in relative peace. That was the way it was for thousands of years.

"In the year 3013, a group of scientists invented something that would revolutionize the galaxy. They determined that it was possible to create bionic implants for humanoids. These could be used to create super-humans, give someone incredible abilities, heal extensive injuries, replace missing limbs, and basically enhance any sentient being. We have one of these bionics in our very classroom! Bree Davenport?"

I pursed my lips as all the eyes in the room turned to look at me. I waved at them half-heartedly. This was another thing I didn't like about studying bionics. My brothers and I were the only bionics at our school—or on the planet, for that matter—and occasionally it seemed that people liked us more for our abilities than who we were. It was cool at first, but it got old eventually.

"Ms. Davenport's father was even involved in the creation of bionics," Mr. Farne continued in his booming voice. "For years the group of scientists worked laboriously at perfecting this new system. They knew that if the wrong person got their hands on the technology, however, that could turn out to be a great disaster. They worked hard to keep their inventions a secret, watching their members closely to make sure none of them were traitors who would sell the bionics on the black market. They didn't watch carefully enough, as it turns out.

"In 3016, a billionaire named Victor Krane managed to get his hands on the research. One member of the scientists had betrayed them. His name was never revealed; those involved claimed they wanted to keep him anonymous. History may never know the traitor. One might wonder if the scientists even knew.

"Krane created a bionic army—the Revolutionaries—with the technology, complete with an app that was able to control the minds of his bionic creations. He proceeded to threaten other planets and even hold a few captive. The Galactic Alliance of Planets knew they had to counter this. When peace talks didn't work, they decided to create a bionic army of their own. Though the group of scientists originally involved in bionics didn't approve of this, it happened anyway. The army was simply called the Alliance, but it was nicknamed the Bionic Battalion by thousands around the galaxy—including those in the army itself.

"For the next several weeks we will be going through the Bionic War, looking at the effects of bionics on our lives and how that war impacted our galaxy. It's safe to say that it was devastating, at least at first. The Galactic Alliance of Planets was not used to dealing with war. I expect you all to study the textbooks and pay attention to the details. Not only is this a fascinating topic, but there will be test when we are finished studying it. We wouldn't want to fail, would we?"

There was a chorus of mutterings from around the room. I pulled out a piece of paper from my notebook and grabbed my favorite green pen. Instead of taking notes, however, I began to doodle in the top corner of the page. What started out as a flower turned into a Hapix-dog, and then I crossed the whole thing out and began filling the side column with miniature hearts.

Mr. Farne rambled on about the start of the war while I barely paid attention. I knew how it ended, anyway: Krane died in 3020, and apparently the mysterious traitor died with him. The bionic army was taken captive and rehabilitated into normal people—well, normal people with bionics. All that happened thirteen years ago. I was just a toddler then. I didn't see why I should care. It didn't affect us anymore; not even bionic people like me.

Regardless, I had to sit—or suffer, as I call it—through all of history class. My eyes were continuously wandering to the clock. My foot tapped in a solid rhythm on the ground. When the bell finally rang, I scooped up my backpack and, even without using my super-speed, was the first one out the door.

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 **Slow, maybe, but important. You know plenty of information now; information that will be vital later on.**

 **Also, I should say that at the beginning of the story, I based their characters off their first seasons selves. So Adam is sixteen, Bree is fifteen, and Chase are Leo are fourteen.**

 **Yes, I turned Perry into an alien without changing her at all. Deal with it.**

 **I love reviews, so let me know what you thought of chapter one! There's a crazy amount of foreshadowing in here, like I said. Trust me, one day you'll go back and read this first chapter again and realize just how much you missed. It's insane the kind of things I'm going to do with all that I told you here. :)**

 **I hope you liked that, but let me know by leaving a review! The deeper the better. ;) Let me know what I did right, wrong, and averagely. I love knowing what you think of my story! Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon, so stay tuned for Chapter 2: In Whom You Can Confide. Bye!**

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 ** _Glossary and Pronunciation Key_**

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 **Bionic War (aka: First Bionic War, BWI; 3016-3020 ATE) - A war fought between Krane's Revolutionary army and the Galactic Alliance of Planets.**

 **BTE/ATE - Before Treaty of Evesent/After Treaty of Evesent. Used as a measurement of years. E.g.: 12 BTE means twelve years before the Treaty of Evesent was signed; 2996 ATE means 2996 years after the Treaty of Evesent was signed. (Real life comparison: B.C./A.D.)**

 **Creek - A town on the planet of Mission.**

 **Felusian (fell-ooh-shun) - A species with long noses and green or yellow skin tones. Their traditions require them to wear brown robes everywhere they go.**

 **Hapix-dog (hay-pics dog) - A species of dog with short, stubby legs and long, pointed ears.**

 **Mission - A planet in the Mid-Rim of the galaxy known for its yellow trees, lovely hills, and sparkling oceans.**

 **Mr. Farne (farn)**

 **Thesal (theh-sawl) - A language commonly learned in high schools throughout the galaxy.**

 **Treaty of Evesent (eve-sent) - Signed in 0 ATE and signifying the formation of the Galactic Alliance of Planets.**

 **Yyana (yawn-ah) - A large, ferocious creature that is often tamed and bred for its milk. (Fun fact: I got the name "yyana" from a fantasy short story I wrote last year.)**

 **Zarwekian (zar-weck-ian) - A species known for red hair, stumpy figures, and crass attitudes. (Fun fact: The name was inspired by the name "Zarkanian" from the LR episode "Alien Gladiators.")**


	3. Chapter 2: In Whom You Can Confide

**Yay, I'm back! :D And holy cow, fifty reviews? You guys are amazing! :D Thanks for all the support! I'm glad you like the story so far.**

 **Though to clarify something for MrMuddyPaws1022 (thanks for being such a thorough reviewer!) and anyone else who might be confused: The prologue takes place in 3020 ATE (so 3020 years** ** _after_** **the Treaty of Evesent), and the first chapter takes place in 3033 ATE, thirteen years later. The Treaty of Evesent is only important as a marker for the formation of the Galactic Alliance of Planets (who had 3000 years of peace until the First Bionic War) and as a way of measuring years. Hopefully that makes a bit more sense. ^^; Let me know if it doesn't. I know it's a pretty crazy timeline! Hey, it's sci-fi, so lots of things have to change.**

 **And for all of you who are freaking out about finding the foreshadowing, don't worry, I'd be shocked if you spotted it. You'd literally have to have psychic powers, because you have** ** _no_** **clue what will happen next. Or you could stalk me and pin me down until I tell you the whole story, but I don't advise you do that. ;) This chapter's got even more foreshadowing, so in the future if you read this after reading the entire story, I bet you'll be able to spot it. But as of the time I'm posting this, you won't be able to find it, I'm sure.**

 **This is the last fully-light-hearted chapter, seeing as how things really pick up at the end of chapter three. So enjoy the last look into Bree's everyday life! I don't own Lab Rats, but I do own anything you don't recognize. Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 2 soundtrack: "Touch the Sky" by Julie Fowlis.**

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 *** * * Chapter 2: In Whom You Can Confide * * ***

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When Adam held out a pink slip with his name written in crisp cursive at the top, none of us were surprised. "So apparently it's against the rules to take a nap in class," he scoffed. "What a stupid rule."

"You say that every time you get in trouble for it," I pointed out.

"It's still stupid."

"I'm not waiting around for you. I'm going home to pack."

"You'll be going without me," Chase said. He leaned against his locker. "The engineering club is meeting in ten minutes."

"Nerd," I said, coughing into my hand.

"Make fun of me now," Chase said, glaring at me. "But someday you'll be flying in a ship designed by yours truly."

"Yours truly? I don't know anyone named Yours Truly."

"Adam . . ." Leo tried to say.

"Forget it," I interrupted. "It's not worth it."

Chase shook his head. "Adam, we can head home together later."

"Looks like it's you and me again, Leo," I said.

"Fine by me. You're not going to race home without me, right?"

"Mm, probably not."

Chase clapped Leo on the shoulder. "Good luck." He turned to walk down the hall. Adam began to walk with him, but Chase just shoved him towards the cafeteria where detention took place.

"All right, Leo, I think there're some things I should show you," I said.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good." His eyes widened.

I laughed. "Don't be so jumpy. Come on." We left the school through the large double doors. "I honestly love the days when I can walk home without Adam and Chase. But now I've got you."

"I'm . . . sorry?"

"No, no. Like I said this morning, you're not as annoying as they are. At least, not yet."

"Aw, you like me." Leo smiled, then suddenly it faded. "But, uh, you know, not like . . . gosh, that's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant. And ew!"

"We're really becoming siblings now, huh?"

"Yup, it seems that way. So, sibling, how would you like to see where I go when Adam and Chase aren't around?"

"You'd really show me?"

"Yeah. Would you like to go?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "What kind of place are we talking about?"

I grabbed his hand. Without another word, I began speeding down the street. Colors blurred together as I ran the familiar path. Leo gripped my hand and screamed. It took several seconds to get to our destination. When we did, I stopped and let go of Leo. He bent over and gripped his knees.

"Don't do that again without warning me!" He rubbed his shoulder. "You nearly pulled my arm out of its socket."

"Don't be such a crybaby. Now, shut up and look."

"Why are we . . . oh!"

The cliff we were standing on overlooked the whole town of Creek. Yellow trees blended together and here and there houses peeked out through the leaves. The school was visible from our spot, as was Mr. Davenport's mansion outside of town. The blue-green waves of the Menetic Ocean could be seen on the horizon. Soft grass coated the cliff. Behind us was a long mountain range, covered in some of the few green trees on Mission.

"This place is beautiful," Leo said.

"Yeah. I love it up here. I've never taken anyone else to this spot; you can really only get up with super-speed."

"Why are you showing me?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe because . . . I think you can appreciate it. Adam would say something about the yellow trees looking like caramel candies, and Chase would probably try to tell me about the type of grass we're standing on. I just like it because time seems to stop up here. Up here, I'm not bionic or different or a freak. I'm a part of the world. Nothing more."

I pulled off my backpack and tossed it aside. I walked up to the edge of the cliff and sat down with my legs hanging off of it. There were about a hundred meters of air between my feet and the ground below the cliff, but I didn't care. Leo sat down beside me, but he sat cross-legged a few meters back.

"You're right," he said. "It's not something you can really _think_ about."

"It's so normal. Nothing's trying to be something it's not." I paused. "That probably didn't make any sense."

"It . . . sort of did."

I pulled up my leg and rested my chin on my knee. The wind brushed against my cheeks. It was so freeing up here. I closed my eyes and sat there with the smell of grass all around me and sun warming my face.

"I think this is the happiest I've seen you since we met," Leo said.

"Yeah. This is one of my favorite places in the galaxy. Probably only topped by the Bionic Convention."

"And you're leaving for that in the morning, right?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"So, what's up with that? This whole convention thing, I mean."

"They have it every two months in this giant hotel-ship in the Falken System. Bionics from all over the galaxy gather together to play games and have contests and go to seminars. The scientists talk about the future and the latest advances in bionic technology and stuff. The talks aren't as much fun, but it's really great to meet people who are just like us. They have super-speed races that I go to every time."

"Sounds fun."

"Oh, it is. We didn't go last time because you guys were still moving in."

"Sorry about that."

I shrugged, pulling up some blades of grass and letting them fly free in the wind. "We don't go every time. But it really is great. There's a lot of training, but they find a way to make it fun. Even the safety stuff for missions."

"How dangerous do these missions get?"

"You'd be surprised. The galaxy might not be at war anymore, but there are still bad people out there. Bionics cooperate with others in their system to deal with local trouble. Like policemen or something. We're the only ones on Mission, but there are a few on Welker—you know, the next planet over."

"That's pretty awesome. You guys get to defeat the bad guys. You're like superheroes or something."

"We like to think of it that way." I smirked. "But, like I said, it's not easy. People get hurt all the time."

"It's still pretty awesome."

"You seem genuinely interested in all this."

"I'm getting thrown into this crazy world. I might as well learn about it."

A daisy swayed beside my wrist on the ground. I plucked it and started stroking the purple petals. It felt good that Leo really cared about learning about me. Most people wanted to "observe" me like I was some kind of freak. It got old quick. "It's a pretty crazy life."

"Plus, if I ever get bionics, I'll know how to handle them."

"Ah, so there is an ulterior motive." I frowned and shook my head. "Ugh, I'm starting to sound like Chase."

"I could see myself beating up a few bad guys. Maybe knocking someone out with super strength."

Leo fake-punched the air. He yelped suddenly and grabbed his bicep, cradling his arm to his body.

I laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Great going, champ. But trust me, getting bionics isn't a fun process."

"Do you remember getting yours?"

"No. I've had them all my life. But I've seen other people get them. The younger you are, the easier it is to do, and then they can grow and adapt with you as you get older. That's why so many bionics are teens and kids. But the scientists are wary about giving bionics to the wrong people—you know, after the whole 'Krane and mysterious traitor' thing. So in order to get bionics, you have to go through a grueling training process. And if you pass that, you get the surgery."

"That's not the only way people get bionics, right?"

"No. If you're injured, and your parents can afford them, they can be used to heal and possibly enhance the parts of your body that need it. Some people aren't even fully bionic—they'll have a bionic limb or eye or something like that. And then there's the guinea pigs."

"Do I even want to know what that means?"

"Probably not. They're test subjects whose families get paid a lot when they're experimented on. It can be questionable." I furrowed my brow.

"Wouldn't it be easy to fake all that, though?" Leo asked. "I mean, if you aced all those tests and still had evil desires in mind—or turned evil later on—then the scientists couldn't do anything, right?"

I sucked in my breath. "Not . . . necessarily."

"Really?"

"Bionics can be removed. So if it's discovered that you're misusing your abilities, the scientists can actually take them out of you."

Leo's eyebrows came together and his eyes went wide. "That doesn't sound fun."

I exhaled slowly. "Oh, it's not. It's only happened a few times in the history of bionics, I think. It's a surgery, the same way they put bionics in. But taking them out isn't quite as easy. There can be pretty awful side effects. Nerve damage, paralysis, burns . . ." I trailed off. "Chase could give you the whole list. Long story short, it's awful. We _don't_ misuse our bionics. And they check up on us to make sure we're not."

"That makes sense. We don't need another maniac like Krane running around again."

"Yeah. Very true."

My hand went to the back of my neck, and I drew my fingers across the spot where my bionic chip rested under my skin. I looked over at Leo. He was staring out over the city, joy flashing in his eyes. Admittedly, I hadn't been too excited about getting another brother. But after a few months with him, he wasn't so bad. It was nice to have someone a little more normal in the family. Because let's face it, Mr. Davenport wasn't exactly _normal_. Leo and Tasha were great additions.

"How much can I trust you?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to decide whether I can tell you about our Scientist's Fingerprint or not."

"What in the galaxy does that mean?"

I laughed. "The Scientist's Fingerprint is basically slang for the 'fatal flaw' in a bionic system. It's actually pretty funny that they haven't worked it all out yet. A lot of newer systems don't have them anymore, but some still do. You see, each scientist designs bionic systems in a different way. No two systems are the same, but pretty much every one designed by the same scientist has the same flaw. We call it the 'Scientist's Fingerprint' because it's unique to the person who designs and installs it."

"They don't learn from their mistakes?"

"Oh, they do. But when they fix one mistake, there's always another one. The more scientists who work on a system, the less likely there will be a Scientist's Fingerprint. Plus, like I said, they've worked them out on most newer systems. But they still pop up. It's something that can't be fixed without completely redoing the bionics." I shrugged. "I guess no one's perfect."

"So, you guys have a Scientist's Fingerprint?"

"Yup. Adam, Chase, and I all have the same flaw."

"Tell me, tell me!" Leo leaned closer, a grin sliding up his face.

"Telling someone your Scientist's Fingerprint shows a lot of trust in that person. It's supposed to be a big secret. If it got out, our enemies could easily use it to defeat us. Promise you won't tell anyone!"

"I swear," Leo said. "Now, _tell me_!"

Why was I doing this again? Maybe because Leo was my brother now. I felt he should know our darkest secrets. Maybe someday he could protect us with this little bit of information. After looking over his scrawny body, however, I realized that was unlikely. Whatever. He still deserved to know.

"You know those electric stunners?" I asked.

Leo nodded, his eyes locked on me.

"They don't affect bionics as well as other humanoids—we have a special resistance. It takes a much higher level to stun a bionic than it takes to stun a regular person. That's also true for Adam, Chase, and me—unless they put it against our neck. If someone were to press a stunner to the same spot on our necks where our chips are, they could seriously damage our bionic systems—and kill us if it's up high enough. The lower levels won't do any major damage, but it will still knock us unconscious."

"Yikes. Those things are dangerous enough as they are."

"The sudden jolt of electricity applied directly to our chips can completely fry our systems. And remember, you can't tell _anyone_ about this. It's a big secret. I figured you'd find out sooner or later."

"I promise I won't say anything. And nobody had better come at any of you with a stunner, or they'll have to go through me!"

"Thanks for the protection, buddy," I said with a chuckle.

"See, I'd make a great bionic hero. Could you make sure to mention that to my mom?"

"Leo, I told you, it's not all fun and games. We have an important job to do. We save lives. Like last week, when we stopped that hangar bay fire. And we take risks. Like the fact that I chipped a nail while doing it."

Leo raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

I narrowed my eyes and shook a finger at him. "Don't judge me. I'm a teenage girl; I have the right to be concerned about that kind of thing."

Leo shrugged and looked down the cliff. "Quick question: how do we get down from here?"

I laughed. "Oh, you're about to find out how much fun bionics can really be."

"Wait, what?"

I grabbed Leo's hand and sped halfway down the side of the cliff. Without warning I stopped with my feet planted firmly on the side of the vertical cliff face. Leo clung to my right hand, his feet dangling over the fifty meters of thin air. "Are you crazy?" he shouted.

"I've got you; don't worry!" I called, laughing above the wind.

My brown hair fell into my eyes and I wiped it away. The rest of my body might be defying gravity, but my hair still fell towards the ground. As Leo screamed and swung wildly in midair, I grabbed him with my left hand as well to give him more assurance.

"How are you even doing this?" he yelled.

"Mr. Davenport calls it wall-sticking. I guess this is cliff-sticking, though. Ah, gravity sucks, doesn't it?"

"If I wanted to float in midair, I'd turn off the gravity stabilizers in a ship. Put me down!"

I scowled. "You're no fun."

With Leo still clinging to me, I ran down the rest of the cliff to flat ground. Leo let go of me and jumped backwards, brushing himself off and glaring at me.

"Stop being such a coward," I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"You dangled me _off the side of a cliff_!" Leo shouted.

"I thought you had the bravery of a bionic hero. Sure didn't seem like it when Welker could hear your girly screams."

"I'll have you know that my screams are a lot less girly than they used to be." Leo bit his lip. "That sounded better in my head."

"Ya think?" I glanced back up the cliff. "Blast. I left my backpack up there. Be right back."

I charged back up the cliff before Leo had a chance to complain. My backpack lay in the grass where I had left it. As I scooped it up, I took one last look at the beautiful landscape in front of me. It was amazing every time.

When I got back down to Leo, he had his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face. "Ready now?"

"Yes," I replied. "Let's just walk home, okay?"

"Why? I thought you'd be itching to pack up for the convention."

"Hmm, true. How about this: we could race back home."

"What? That's not fair!"

"I won't use my speed."

"Still no."

"Three, two, one . . ."

"Bree!"

"Go!"

The trees blurred past me as I ran. No super-speed, like I promised, but I was still a fast runner anyway—if I do say so myself. Leo charged after me, screaming my name. I only laughed and ran faster.

It took just a few minutes to reach the base of the hill where the Davenport mansion was. The upward climb was harder, but I planted my feet firmly and pushed myself up. That slope was far from the hardest I'd climbed, even without my speed.

Once I reached the top of the hill, I leaned against the wall of the house with a self-satisfied smirk on my face and my arms folded across my chest. Leo came up the hill, one hand pressed to his side and his chest heaving. He took the time to glare at me before approaching the front door.

"There's a reason . . . gym is my . . . least favorite class," he gasped as we went inside.

"When they ask what ability you want, don't say super-speed. That run was nothing."

Even though Leo was behind me, I could still feel his glare boring into my back. I grinned and kept walking.

I grabbed a pelchan fruit from the bowl on the counter and tossed it lightly from hand to hand. "I'm going upstairs to pack."

"Okay. I'll just . . . pass out on the couch." Leo fell onto the furniture with a huff.

I stared at him for a second. "'Kay." I turned and headed up the stairs to my room. I took a bite of the pelchan fruit and savored the delicious juices filling my mouth.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in the center of my room with my suitcase open in front of me and various articles of clothing strewn across the floor. It was only an overnight trip, but I still wanted to look great. Pre-planning what to wear was so hard.

While I was trying to decide between a green blouse and a blue one, I heard Adam and Chase come barreling through the door downstairs. Someone ran up the stairs, and I was willing to bet it was Chase. Sure enough, the door across from mine opened and closed. Adam and Leo would probably play some game for the rest of the afternoon, but Chase liked to get his homework done right away. _What a nerd_ , I thought as I folded the blue blouse and placed it in my bag.

It took me nearly half an hour to figure out my clothing for the first day. When I finally finished, I sighed and leaned back against the footboard of my bed.

" _Echewi, ro lono galvus_."

 _Oh no_.

"Chase!" I screamed. "My bed went all weird again!"

No answer. I stood up with a groan and stormed across the hall. "Chase!" I yelled as I knocked on his door. "Chase!"

"Go away, Bree."

Who was he to tell me what to do? I opened the door and leaned into his room. Chase looked up from his computerized desk. His eyebrows rose in an _I'm-busy-leave-me-alone_ kind of way. His homework assignment was pulled up on the holographic screen. _Again, nerd!_

"My bed is speaking in another language. Help!"

He sighed and stood up. "How do you even do that?"

"I don't know!" I said as we walked back to my room. "I just leaned back against it and it started speaking to me in . . . some language I don't know."

Chase knelt down beside my bed and pressed the computerized screen centered on the footboard. He started playing with the controls. "You changed it to Galvu. I told you that you should've taken Galvu in school."

"Well, I wanted to take Sanchi. Sue me!"

"Everyone takes Sanchi. That's boring."

I scowled. " _Oswu_."

Chase glared at me. "Would you like to call me another name, or do you want me to fix your bed?"

I sighed. "Fine, just hurry up."

Our beds were specially made to connect to and repair our bionics while we slept. Downstairs in Mr. Davenport's lab we had capsules, which served pretty much the same purpose, and we still used those for major system updates. But Adam, Chase, and I liked having our own rooms, so Davenport got us beds. The only problem was that every time I so much as _touched_ the footboard, something went wrong with the computer.

"There," Chase said after a few minutes. "It's back to Basic."

"System restart?" the computer asked in a monotone voice.

"Not now," Chase muttered, swiping something off the screen.

"Thanks. Now, out of my room. I'm getting ready for this weekend."

"You're still not ready?"

"I almost am. I know you're already packed, Mr. Prepared. Why don't you go bug Adam? You know he's not even going to _think_ about packing until five minutes before we leave."

Chase nodded. I pulled him up and pushed him towards the door. He pressed back with his feet and resisted me.

"You know, this is our first bionic convention in four months. Word on the street is that they're going to announce something big."

"I don't care. Out."

Chase grabbed my doorframe as I tried to push him through. Ugh, why were little brothers so annoying?

"Some say they'll finally be opening up a bionic academy."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't you know what this means?"

"We could send you away and finally get some peace and quiet?"

"More formal training. Better bionic protection for the galaxy. Thousands of heroes trained every day." Chase spoke in an announcer-like voice. Why on Mission was this so exciting to him?

"A place to send obnoxious brothers who can't take a hint. For the last time, get out!"

Chase finally stopped resisting me. He let go of the doorframe and stepped into the hall. "Fine," he said. "But I have a feeling this convention is going to change everything."

I slammed the door shut. Finally, some peace. I walked back to my closet to find another pair of clothes to wear on the second day of the convention, and, of course, some good running clothes for the races. I sat down on the bed and held up different shirts for observation. I couldn't wait for the next day!

* * *

 **How'd you guys like that chapter? Still a little slow, I know, but setting things up. I had to tell you all that before we could move on in the story, and now that I have, you're ready for the real action to begin. Stay tuned!**

 **You know, a lot of you guys have mentioned Star Wars in your reviews. Yes, I'm a huge SW nerd (not as much as I used to be, but I am still am!), so expect quite a few references. Already slipped one in this chapter; you'll know where once you read the glossary. :)**

 **Fun fact: This chapter was originally supposed to be Bree and Owen have something of a date by a creek, but I changed it because I wanted to put in more Leo. He doesn't show up a lot in this story, unfortunately, but he plays a** ** _major_** **role nonetheless, and I wanted to show some of his importance here. How'd you like the sibling bonding?**

 **As always, don't forget to leave me a review and say what you think. I love your feedback! See you soon on Chapter 3: Away From Normal. Bye!**

* * *

 ** _Glossary and Pronunciation Key_**

* * *

 **Basic - The most common language in the galaxy and the primary language of humans. (Real life comparison: English. Notes: In fact, Basic is, aside from a few select words, identical to English. Also, this is a Star Wars reference, so credit goes to them for the name.)**

 **Bionic Convention - A bimonthly gathering of bionic beings from across the galaxy to train and learn about bionics.**

 **Falken (fawlk-en) System - A group of planets in the inner-rim and the space around them, most notable for the location of the Bionic Convention.**

 **Galvu (gahl-vue) - A language commonly used in the galaxy.**

 **Menetic (men-uh-tick) Ocean - An ocean on Mission.**

 **Pelchan (pell-chun) fruit - A round, red fruit.**

 **Sanchi (san-chi) - A very common language in the galaxy and often taught to high school students. (Real life comparison: Spanish.)**

 **Scientist's Fingerprint: A "fatal flaw" of sorts in a bionic system unique to the designer of the system.**

 **Welker (well-kur) - A planet in the same system as Mission.**


	4. Chapter 3: Away From Normal

**Well . . . These past few days haven't been the best. I hurt my wrist (yes, yes, again) and so now I can't type. I'm using a dictation program on my computer to write these authors notes, and I have to say, it's really awkward reading these aloud. XD so I'm sorry if anything in my authors notes looks off; blame my weird dictation program.**

 **But I couldn't wait to give you guys a new chapter of war-torn. And especially for one big reason: I will not be posting anything during the month of November. I will be participating in nanowrimo (assuming my wrist feels better by Sunday) and do not want to be distracted. I might see if I can sneak in a chapter during the middle of the month since the story was written in advance, but we'll just have to see. I definitely won't be posting anything new, and I highly doubt I'll be updating any of my other stories. I'm sorry for any inconvenience, but I will be back on December 1, hopefully with a lot of confidence from having finished a whole novel. :)**

 **But anyway, let's get to the story. This chapter introduces a new character, and I'm really excited for you all to see him. Yes he is someone you know. He someone a lot of you love. ;) you may be confused at first, but that was my intention. ;) if it helps anything, remember that all the characters are related to each other in the exact same way they are in the canon.**

 **This is also where the happy chapters end so I hope you enjoyed them. I don't own lab rats, only any OCs and anything else you don't recognize. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter three soundtrack #1: "When Can I See You Again?" by Owl City.**

 **Chapter three soundtrack #2 (beginning at "** In the middle of Malcolm's sentence, all the lights in the hall went out. **"): "Rise of the Black Curtain" by Audiomachine.**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 3: Away From Normal * * ***

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Adam asked, kicking the base of the control panel.

I groaned and lowered my holophone. "Quit asking that!" I shouted at him.

Adam folded his arms across his chest and looked out the front viewport. He was silent for a few moments before saying, "Are we there _now_?"

This time Mr. Davenport and Chase joined me in groaning. "Look out there, Adam," Chase said. "Does that look like the Falken system?"

Adam squinted. "It looks like a bunch of stars."

"Exactly. We're still in hyperspace. So quit asking if we're there! It'll be obvious when we are."

"So are we there now?"

"Adam, pipe down or you'll have to stay with me during my morning meetings!" Mr. Davenport threatened.

Adam huffed and stuck his feet up on the control panel. He quickly became fascinated with all the stars shooting past our ship at a fast enough speed that they all looked like blurred lines. His frown turned into a smile, and just like that, my brother was back to normal.

"And what are you doing?" Chase, who sat next to me, asked.

"What does it look like?" I asked as I stared at my holophone. "I'm posting on StarChat and letting my friends know what I'm up to. 'My brothers are driving me crazy. Ugh, is this flight almost over?'"

"Well, now you just sound like Adam." Chase leaned back in his chair and smirked. I rolled my eyes. How did I get such an annoying boy for a brother?

"Adam," Mr. Davenport said a few seconds later, "we're there."

I gripped my father's chair and leaned forward, peeking out the front viewport. The star lines faded into regular stars, and our ship slowed to a normal speed. Directly in front of us was a station the size of a moon and just as round.

"Finally," I groaned, but excitement welled up inside of me. The Bionic Convention was hands-down the best part of being bionic. It was the one place I truly had any friends. Nothing there was normal—I fit right in.

Our ship pulled into the blindingly white hanger bay. Mr. Davenport landed our ship with all the skill of an expert pilot as the workers down below guided him. Once we touched down, we all hopped out of our seats and ran out onto the exit ramp.

"Hey, hey, get your luggage!" Davenport shouted at us before we could run off. All three of us sighed, but we turned back and grabbed our suitcases. "We'll check into our room first," our father said. "After that, you can explore."

"So, the usual?" Chase asked.

"Exactly." Mr. Davenport swung the ship keys around his finger and stuck them in his pocket.

The foyer for the hotel rooms on that part of the station was right next to the hanger bay. After sitting around and fidgeting while we waited for Mr. Davenport to check in, we took the elevator up to the thirty-seventh floor. "Not very high up this time," I mused when he told us our room number.

Our room was located just a few doors down from the elevator, which meant a faster trip down to the convention hall. Score!

Mr. Davenport's position as a head scientist got us a pretty sweet room. There were two rooms, technically, each with one bed. Adam and Chase got one, Davenport got the other, and I slept on the couch bed. Not that I complained about it; Davenport kicked in his sleep, and there was no way I wanted to share a bed with either of my brothers, so I figured I made the right choice. We had a holoscreen and a few other amenities—even our own kitchenette. Not that we cared that much. Most of our time would be spent outside of the room anyway.

"Get settled, guys," Mr. Davenport said after tossing his luggage in the second room. "I've got a meeting in a few minutes. I'll be there until the first talk this afternoon. Meet me at that little coffee shop outside the exhibition hall at 15:00. Got it?"

"Got it," the three of us replied as he walked out the door.

I threw my suitcase on the couch and spun on my heel. "All right, I'm headed downstairs. See you later, losers," I said.

"Wait!" Chase called before I could leave. "We need to work out a plan."

I groaned and leaned against the wall. There went Chase, ruiner of all things fun!

"We know when and where to meet, right?" Chase asked.

"Davenport just said it," Adam pointed out. "Even _I_ remember it. Coffee shop at, uh . . ."

"Fifteen. Don't be late. The opening talk starts at 15:15, and you both know that it isn't optional."

"Yes, Chase!" I said. "We all know. This isn't our first convention. So give it a rest. I'm going to miss the races!"

"Yeah, and weight-lifting is starting soon. Speaking of which, I left my weights at home. Hmm, I wonder what I should use?" Adam looked slyly at Chase.

"No, no, and no!"

"Oh, like you have a choice."

I laughed as Adam tossed Chase over his shoulder and the three of us left our room. After a loud and annoying ride in the elevator, we reached the fifth floor where the convention was being held. "Later, suckers!" I shouted the second I stepped out of the elevator.

Before I sped off, I stopped for a second to take it all in. The convention hall stretched ahead of us for what seemed like forever. Booths and games lined every wall and most of the space in between, creating an elaborate maze full of all sorts of cool products and programs.

Inventors and vendors waved various kinds of new training devices in my face, people at booths peddled new bionic upgrades every few meters, and professional trainers tried to draw a crowd with their new methods of bionic use. All of that looked cool, but other parts of the convention appealed to me more.

I super-sped past the booths and out towards the most amazing part of the convention: the training grounds. As I got closer, another blur approached me. "Bree!" she screamed over the wind in our ears. Both of us came to a stop, drawing looks from those around us.

"Natie!" I said, embracing my friend. "Wow, it's been so long! How've you been?"

"Great! I missed you at the last convention."

"Yeah, our stepmom and stepbrother were still moving in, so we couldn't make it."

"I saw you post about that on StarChat. What's it like with new members of the family?"

"Kinda weird, but Tasha and Leo are great."

"That's good to hear. Okay, now that the idle chit-chat is out of the way, I have something _amazing_ to show you."

"It's not what I think it is, is it?" A smile spread across my face.

"It totally is, and it's finally done! Come on, come _on_!"

Natie grabbed my hand and once again we sped through the hall. With the expert maneuvering we had gained from a lifetime of using bionics, we avoided any potential disasters. That didn't stop some people from yelling at us to watch where we were going. Natie and I laughed and made no effort to slow down.

Soon we arrived at a large opening in the wall. There we stopped our speed, wanting to take it all in. We stepped through, into a large open space that completely took my breath away.

On the opposite wall, a window—which stretched a good ninety meters above us—overlooked the whole Falken system. Bleachers sat to our right and left, enough to hold several hundred people. The center of the area was something of an oval-shaped field with a polyurethane path around it. A super-speed track!

"They finally finished it!" I gasped.

"Yup, and it's _amazing_ ," Natie said, unable to hold back her grin. "The grand opening was at the last convention."

"Aw, I missed it?"

"Yeah, but there were so many people that you couldn't really use it. There's still a lot of people, but it's not so bad this time. The races start in an hour, but you want to get some practice in early?"

"Well, duh."

We jogged up to the start of the track. I still couldn't stop marveling at this place. The super-speeders had begged for a larger track for years, and they finally made one! It had to be one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. And now _I_ got to use it, and I got to use it with my best friend.

Natie and I met at one of the conventions when we were eight, and even though we only saw each other every two months, we remained close friends. She was one of the few people who understood me. She had two older brothers, and she also wished she was normal. Still, both Natie and I loved our bionics when we raced. That was the only time we wouldn't trade abnormal for anything.

"Get ready," Natie said as we knelt down, "get set . . . go!"

* * *

"I'll have a Jundland Java, please," I said as I slid into the bar stool.

The Tentalin bartender nodded and turned around, preparing my coffee and a few others with all six of his arms. After about a minute he pushed it across the counter and I in turn handed him the money. He took it while handing someone else their drink.

I leaned with my elbows on the counter and sipped the drink. The warm, rich liquid tasted amazing. After racing so much, it was good to take a break and relax. I turned around to look out at the rest of the convention and people-watch.

Several humanoids of all races and species roamed the halls. Over by the wall, a pair of twins tossed a fireball back and forth. A few girls with super-agility sat on the ceiling, whispering about the poor souls under them who couldn't wall-climb. A group of boys with large muscles walked past, shoving each other and shouting unintelligible phrases.

I was so occupied watching others around me that I didn't notice the boy nearby until he was right on top of me—literally.

"Watch where you're going!" I shouted, grabbing my coffee to keep it from spilling. Luckily I avoided disaster, and the boy spun around, a shocked look on his face.

"S-Sorry," he stammered. "I didn't see you there. This place is a little overwhelming."

"You're lucky I didn't spill any! This stuff is _piping_ hot." I looked up into the boy's face and felt a silly grin coming on. _Speaking of piping hot . . ._

"I'm really sorry," he said. "I was just looking for the exhibition hall. Do you know where it is?"

 _Hmm, cute but clueless._ "Maybe that sign right behind you will help." I pointed to the huge sign on the wall that read "Exhibition Hall" right next to a massive electronic door in front of which people were starting to crowd.

He rubbed his hands together and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Thanks. Usually I'm a lot more observant, I swear! This is my first convention, and there're so many more people than I thought there would be."

I nodded. "Yeah, it gets crowded. Are you newly bionic?"

He furrowed his brow. "Not exactly. I'm an android."

I nodded again and took a sip of my coffee. _Shoot_. "Oh, cool. There aren't many of you around."

"I was hoping I could be put to good use here, like the bionics are. My previous . . ."—he raised an eyebrow, searching for the right word—" _owners,_ I guess, didn't exactly have good intentions."

I shrugged. "It happens. I'm sure there're lots of things you can do. The scientists could always use help. My dad's one of them. I could introduce you after the talk today."

He smiled. "That would be great. I'm Marcus, by the way."

I accepted his outstretched hand. "Bree. So, you're searching for something to do?"

"I guess. Can I take a seat?"

"Why not?"

Marcus sat down beside me and leaned on the counter, looking out into the crowd walking past us. "So . . . you're bionic?"

"There wouldn't be much point in me being here if I wasn't."

He chuckled. "True. What's your main power?"

"Speed. And you've got . . .?"

"Speed, strength, and intelligence." He smirked. "All three. But they're more prone to glitches and . . . stuff." He paused, looking down at the ground.

Someone shouted my name, and I looked up to see Adam standing a few meters away, waving at me. "It was nice meeting you, Marcus," I said as I stood up, "but I've got to go. Maybe I can meet you here later and introduce you to my dad?"

"That would be great." Marcus grinned. "See you later, Bree."

I tossed my coffee cup in the trash as I walked up to my older brother.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Oh, just some cute android I met. Where's Chase?"

"I don't know. He's not here?"

I checked my holophone. "It's 15:06 right now. We are totally giving him a hard time when he gets here."

Already people began to flock into the hall, eager for good seats. We didn't have to worry because Mr. Davenport had reserved seats, but I still didn't want to be stuck behind the huge crowd of people.

Just then Chase ran up to us, out of breath and sweaty. "I misjudged how far away the hall was," he gasped as he reached us. "Sorry, guys. The acadecathalon lasted longer than I thought it would."

"Ha!" Adam said. " _You're_ the one late."

"Yeah, you were the one bugging us about being on time," I added.

Chase stood up straight and glared. "Hey, it's not my fault!" He looked ready to say more, but he spotted Mr. Davenport and we went to join up with him.

With only a few spoken words describing what we had done all afternoon, the four of us walked into the huge exhibition hall. The entrances were positioned all around the top, but our seats were further down, closer to the stage. The raised platform stood in the center of the room, and large screens hung from the ceiling to give a better view to those in the back. The enormous hall was built to seat thousands of people, and today—like any other day—it was packed. We elbowed our way through the crowd and got to our seats after a few minutes of searching for the right ones.

"Do I have to sit next to Chase?" I asked as we found our spot. "Can I sit on the other side of you, please, Mr. Davenport?"

"Bree, grow up," Mr. Davenport said. "If I had to sit next to Adam on the four hour flight here, you can stand sitting next to Chase for forty-five minutes."

I wrinkled my nose. "But he smells."

"And you think Adam doesn't?"

"Hey!" Chase protested, but Adam shrugged it off. My younger brother pulled my arm and I sat down. "You heard the man. You're stuck with me." He sent me the kind of malicious grin that only a brother is allowed to give a girl.

I would've objected more, but the music playing while we entered came to a stop and a spotlight lit up the stage. A man walked out and the crowd cheered. He was none other than Malcolm Dengre, Director of Bionic Activities and Administration.

"Welcome, bionics and family," he said once the crowd quieted down. He walked around the stage in a smooth circle, making sure to look out over the whole room. "We are so excited that you could join us today at our fifty-eighth bimonthly bionic convention. Hopefully you've been having fun doing the different training activities and contests we set up, as well as all the wonderful food! There's a fantastic Arbaranian noodle stand down on hall 4b, and I highly suggest you check it out."

This earned a few laughs from the audience. Malcolm Dengre had one of the most charismatic personalities in the universe, and he could make anyone smile. That was the reason he always talked at the conventions. That and he knew about the bionic society better than anyone.

"Anyway, we have so many fantastic things planned for this weekend, so we hope you'll stick around and check them all out. Later this evening we will begin the seminars, so if you'd like to see if there are any you are interested in, check out our little pamphlets. If you don't have them, you can find the ones that have been stuffed in the trash—or there are nice people in bright vests handing them out at every corner.

"For now, though, I'm going to talk to you about what's going on in the world of bionics. We've been working on many big projects lately, and there's one in particular that I want to talk about. We've been eagerly waiting to reveal it to you, so here it goes."

The lights dimmed and bright colors flashed on the screens. Malcolm cupped his hand around his microphone and said in an announcer-like voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the very first look at . . . the Bionic Academy!"

An image of a space station appeared on the screens. It was an odd shape, with a tall sphere being the focal point and two shorter semi-circles protruding from either side, though the semi-circles never quite touched. _Oohs_ and _aahs_ echoed throughout the hall, as well as applause.

"The Bionic Academy will be a boarding school, sponsored by the Galactic Alliance of Planets and the Board of Bionic Activities—which I head." Malcolm grinned and kept walking as the screen showed new images of rooms filled with all kinds of spectacular tech. "Students will learn a variety of subjects, as well as train their bionics to be the best they can be. The academy boasts the latest and greatest technology, not to mention cozy dorms, large rec rooms, an impressive cafeteria, state-of-the-art training simulators, and more."

Mr. Davenport elbowed me and whispered, "I designed a lot of the stuff they'll be using there. Yeah, just when you thought I couldn't get any more awesome."

I patted his arm. "I think you mean, just when we thought your ego couldn't get any bigger."

"We are excited to announce this to you all," Malcolm continued. "We're hoping to open it toward the end of next year. Before any of you ask, we won't be revealing the location of the academy quite yet. We've made the mistake of disclosing too much once before, and we won't let it happen again. The academy is full of all sorts of new devices, and, well, we don't want all those cheats out there copying off of us, do we?" Malcolm winked and chuckled. "But not to worry. Once we get closer to opening, we'll let you know where it is. Or we could make you fly around space looking for it, but I doubt we'd get many students that way.

"In a few months we'll be opening enrollment, so start thinking about whether you'd like to go. Age doesn't matter; if you've already graduated, we'll focus on just your bionics. And if not, there will still be regular school classes to take. While the academy is designed to hold a couple hundred thousand students—yeah, big place, I know—chances are it will fill up eventually, so be sure to sign up as early as possible to secure a spot!

Chase leaned over and whispered in my ear, "See, I told you they were going to announce an academy!"

"And I told you I don't care."

"Oh, come on, this is cool!"

"As long as I don't have to share a room with you, I'm sure it will be."

Chase rolled his eyes and leaned further over me asking, "Mr. Davenport, can we go?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'll probably have to go myself to help with the students, since I'm one of the few people who knows how to train bionics."

"As long as they have a hot dog stand, I'm cool," Adam said, joining our little huddle.

"Well, they'll have to feed hundreds of meatheads like you," Chase said, shoving Adam's shoulder.

"We've got a few other small announcements to make over this weekend," Malcolm said, bringing my family out of our conversation and back into the talk, "but the academy is the one we've been waiting to give you for so long. I think we can all agree that it's going to be a huge asset for bionics across the galaxy. Finally we can have—"

In the middle of Malcolm's sentence, all the lights in the hall went out. His mic shut off and the screens went dark. Straining my eyes, I could see Malcolm fiddling with his microphone in an attempt to fix it. People started whispering to each other. Some went up higher to open the doors, but the news made it back to those who were lower: the electronic doors were locked. Whispers went around.

 _Probably just a malfunction . . . just a malfunction . . ._

Bionics were trained to keep a level head in strange situations, so no one panicked. Still, there was a sense that something was not as it should be. That became more apparent as security guards ran up on stage and started talking to Malcolm. No one panicked yet, but we began to fidget in our seats.

Then, just as we were ready to pass it off as faulty wiring, a laugh rang out through the speakers and echoed through the whole room. Not just any laugh, but an evil-sounding, malicious laugh, like a villain makes in the holomovies. _That_ could not be attributed to a malfunction.

A thousand hearts beat together as we looked around to our neighbors, wondering what in the galaxy was going on.

The screens came back on, and a collective gasp swept through the crowd. There on the screen was the laugher, the person responsible for the horrifying sound. It was a face from the history books, and one no one ever thought they'd see again.

"Greetings, bionics," Victor Krane said, the wires in his head stretching and moving with his jaw. "I'm so terribly sorry to interrupt your fifty-eighth bionic convention, but I thought this was the appropriate way to announce my return."

"Wow, someone's pulling an elaborate prank," Adam said.

"I-I don't think it's a prank, Adam," Chase said, playing with his fingers. "Mr. Davenport?"

We looked at Mr. Davenport. His face had gone chalk-white, and even in the near-darkness we could see the terrified look on his face. "This isn't a prank," he mumbled, more to himself than us. "Th-That's . . . that's Krane."

"But he's dead," I said. "Right? He died, like, thirteen years ago. How could he—"

"I'm afraid the report of my death was greatly exaggerated," Krane said as if to answer my question—the same question everyone had floating around in their heads. "And now I'm ready to take my revenge on this galaxy. And believe me when I say that I won't be stopped this time.

"I plan to officially announce my return in two days on the magnificent planet of Plenus. I hope you'll send some of your bionic soldiers to watch. I'd love for them to see what I have planned. It will be . . . _explosive_ , to say the least."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Malcolm asked. He didn't exactly shout, but he was loud enough for most of the people in the front to make out what he said.

Krane chuckled. "Mr. Dengre, I can hear you."

Malcolm snapped his head up and his face paled even further.

"And to answer your question, well, let me just say that I'm openly threatening the lives of billions on that planet. I suggest you come and see it for yourself."

Someone in the audience shouted, "Fake! Go back to your mom's basement, you prankster!" A few others yelled their agreement.

Krane cocked his head and frowned, then chuckled. "Fine. Take that risk if you'd like. Believe I haven't really returned and risk billions of lives of Plenus if you so wish. But I think you'll realize soon enough that I _am_ back, and that I have beautiful plans for this galaxy. I know you'll try to stop me, but rest assured, you bionic do-gooders will fall, even if I have to kill each and every one of you myself!"

Krane's laugh echoed through the room once more. The screens turned off and the lights came back up, leaving a pale and confused Malcolm Dengre in the center of the stage and thousands of terrified bionic heroes in the seats.

"Well, Chase," I whispered, "you were right: this convention will change _everything_."

* * *

 **Whoa, Krane's back? Who could've seen that coming? –_– yeah, I know, not exactly a shock. Still, now he's threatening billions of lives? That can't be a good thing. The bionic heroes will stop him, right? Right?**

 **Oh, and hey, it's Marcus! What's he doing here? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Did he betray Krane and Douglas? Or was he never with them in the first place? I mean, I did say their relationships were the same. . . . And yes, I threw it a little Maree in there. That's one of my favorite AU ships. :3 question is, Will this ship set sail, or will it sink? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out.**

 **And yes, I'm sorry I'm leaving you guys for month. But I'm very excited to be doing nanowrimo for the first time. I'll see if I can sneak in some time in the middle of the month to post chapter 4 of war-torn, but we'll have to see. If I can't, I'm asking you guys to please be patient with me. I promise I will be back come December. And trust me, I'll miss you very much. :) (also, this means I won't be reviewing or messaging pretty much at all during November. I'll try to get a little more done before November 1, but that all depends on whether my wrist get better not.)**

 **Well my wrists and fingers are killing me know, so I hope you guys are happy. XD I had to get one more chapter in before the end of month no matter how much it hurt. ;) sorry for any weird mistakes in my authors notes, but there's not much I can do to fix them, Unfortunately. (but I can still do enough to fix that curse word it tried to put in there earlier. O.o) thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll consider leaving a review. Tell me what you liked, tell me what you hated. But I still hope you liked it. :P I'll see you guys in December for chapter 4: "Tag Team." (and prayers for my wrist would be greatly appreciated. :)) see you guys later! Bye!**

* * *

 *** * * Glossary/Pronunciation Key * * ***

* * *

 **Arbaranian (are-bar-ain-ian) noodles - A kind of noodles.**

 **Board of Bionic Activities - The people in charge of bionics. They plan missions and organize the bionic convention.**

 **Holomovies - (Real life equivalent: movies)**

 **Holophone - (Real life equivalent: cell phones)**

 **Holoscreen - (Real life equivalent: television)**

 **Hyperspace - A method of faster than light travel. Commonly used by ships across the galaxy.**

 **Jundland (jund-land) Java - A kind of coffee.**

 **Malcolm Dengre (Mal-come den-grey)**

 **Natie (gnat-ie)**

 **Plenus (pleh-nes) - A rich planet in the inner rim. Has a population of several hundred billion. (Fun fact: the name came from the Latin word for "plenty." Also, it is very highly based off the planet "Coruscant" from Star Wars.)**

 **StarChat - A social media site, mostly used by teens, that is popular all over the galaxy.**

 **Tentalin (tent-a-len) - A species most recognized by their six arms.**

 **Twenty-five hour time - The most popular method used to measure time in the galaxy. Starts at 1:00 in the morning and goes until 25:00 at night. A standard form of time in the galaxy. (Note: yes, days in this story have 25 hours.)**


	5. Chapter 4: Tag Team

**Well, look who's back after** ** _forever_** **. Yes, I have returned, and I will finally update this story! Hopefully some other ones will be updated soon, but after a month of novel writing, I'm mostly focused on reading and reviewing. However, I am on winter break, so I've got time. Don't let me give you excuses for not doing things. ;)**

 **Guys, though, if my ANs seem off at all . . . it's because I went to see Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens this morning. I won't give any spoilers, but gosh . . . that movie made me cry** ** _five times_** **. That's the most** ** _any_** **movie has made me cry.** ** _Ever_** **. I'm still crying, ten hours later. X'D I'm an emotional roller coaster, so bear with me.**

 **So where'd we leave off last time? Oh yeah, Krane threatening to kill billions of people and Marcus possibly being a love interest for Bree. Well, let's see where those go. This chapter has a lot of planning, but it's important build-up, so pay close attention. Also, just so you know, in this universe an asterisk is the same as a hashtag on social media. And any grammar mistakes on StarChat conversations are intentional.**

 **Also, one of my betas hasn't read this chapter yet, so I might go back and update some parts of it later. Just in case you ever read this again and find something is different. :)**

 **I don't own Lab Rats, Disney does, and I love them for making an awesome seventh Star Wars movie. I only own my OCs and this story, so don't steal it! Enjoy, precious readers. (It's so good to be back.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 soundtrack: "Frozen Synapse" by Audiomachine**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 4: Tag Team * * ***

* * *

Malcolm Dengre readjusted his microphone and said, "Hello? Can you all hear me?" Once he was satisfied that we could, he continued: "Look, uh, we're not entirely sure what just happened, but we need all of you to stay where you are and remain calm. Don't panic. We'll, uh, we'll figure this out."

He turned aside to some of the security guards who had joined him onstage. Everyone in the crowd began to whisper to their neighbors. No one stood up or screamed or fainted, but we all still felt the fear and worry building up inside. _Something_ had just happened; something bad.

"I think we're already panicking," Adam said, glancing around. "But those girls a few rows down are doing it very cutely." He flashed a flirtatious smile, even though the girls' backs were turned.

"Adam," Chase said, "it would be better to say that they're panicking _in a cute way_ , not cutely. Technically it's a word, but it makes the sentence clunkier, especially with the word _very_ , which is already an adverb."

"Really? You're doing this now?"

"I'm sorry! It's the best way for me to calm down."

"I think you mean the _goodest_ way."

"Gah!"

"Boys," Davenport snapped. "We have a serious problem on our hands! Some of my biggest investors live on Plenus."

"Seriously?" I groaned. "That's what you're upset about?"

"It was just some prankster," Chase said. "Right? It had to be. I mean, there's no way that Krane could actually be alive. Weren't you there that day, Mr. Davenport? You saw him die, right?"

"I saw the explosion," Davenport muttered. "I _felt_ it too; got thrown back into the wall and everything. We all thought for sure that no one could've survived that. But then again, we never found the bodies . . ."

The lights flashed again, and a picture appeared on the screens. It had an image of a nuclear bomb sitting in a window. Outside the window was a view of Galatrix, the capital of Plenus. At the bottom read the words: "I have six hundred more of these. You've got twenty-five hours before they all go off. Come quickly to see the show."

Everyone in the crowd gasped, and Malcolm paled even further, which I didn't think was possible. He whispered to the guards and high-ranking officials who stood onstage with him. It almost looked like he was arguing with them. Finally he spun around.

"Anyone with an Alpha-level security pass, up on stage, _now_ ," he hissed into his microphone. Never in my life had I heard Malcolm Dengre so serious. When there was a hesitation in the crowd, he added, "Forget about secrecy! This is a galactic emergency. Up here, _now_!"

Mr. Davenport bowed his head, stood up, and moved past me and my brothers.

"Wait!" Chase said, grabbing his arm as he walked past. " _You_ have an Alpha-level security pass?"

Davenport nodded numbly and ripped his arm out of Chase's grip. "I'm one of the original scientists. Does it really shock you?" He got out of our row and hurried down to the stage without another word.

"He's got an Alpha-level security pass," Chase murmured. "How could he not tell me he has an Alpha-level security pass?"

I shrugged. "Well, it's supposed to be a _secret_. But he's right; it's not really shocking that he has one."

"Think of all the places he could've gotten me into with that! The labs, the training areas—every off limits place, and he never let me go!"

"At least, it's not a shock to _most_ of us," Adam said, looking at me. "Seriously, even _I_ get why he has one."

"It's not that shocking." Chase squinted, staring at where Mr. Davenport stood on stage. "I just wish he'd told me."

All fourteen of the original scientists stood on stage, talking with Malcolm and other guards and trainers in high positions.

"What are they saying?" I asked Chase.

"You want me to eavesdrop? Not happening, Bree."

"Aw, come on! We've got to find out eventually anyway."

Chase rolled his eyes and brushed away his hair, activating his super-hearing. After a few seconds he shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "I can't hear them over everyone else in here."

"For real?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Yes, 'for real.' Just be patient, Bree."

I huffed and leaned back in my seat. Adam started going through the same conversation, asking Chase to eavesdrop on the meeting onstage. I ignored them and pulled out my holophone. I went into StarChat to see if anyone else had posted about Krane. Surprisingly, there was nothing. I felt a little glee thinking I would be the first one, but before I could post the status, I realized that there might be a reason no one had posted.

If it turned out someone pretended to be Krane as a prank, there was no point in worrying the entire galaxy. Heck, even if it _was_ really Krane, there still wasn't a point in setting everyone on edge. Bionics could hold it together, but normal people would go into a frenzy.

So instead I wrote, "Can safely say that this is the most intense bionic convention I've ever been to. *bigannouncements *holdingmybreath"

Within a few seconds, I got some replies.

 _cocoyoyo: i'm here to and wow this is nuuts_

 _strongerthanubigguy: On the edge of my seat and not in a good way._

 _Natie-the-Catie: Ya. Why do I have a feeling the next one will be a little late? Please let this all be a joke. *worried *secrets_

I put down my phone and looked up on stage. The whole group—around thirty or forty people—seemed to finally have come to some sort of decision. Malcolm walked to the edge of the stage and turned on his microphone again.

"Listen, everyone," he said. The crowd quieted to hear him speak. "We understand how serious this is. Right now, we're not entirely sure what we're dealing with: the real Krane, or some prankster. However, we all feel like we should handle this carefully. The convention _will_ continue, but we'll be sending our best bionics to Plenus to find out more about this situation. If you've been selected for this mission, we'll let you know. Otherwise, keep going about your business.

"I know a lot of you are worried. So are we. But we've dealt with Krane once before, and we'll do it again. So if you're not on the mission, remain calm, and we'll keep you updated."

Malcolm appeared to be finished but suddenly looked out over all of us again and added, "One more thing: don't tell anyone else about this. Perhaps you can alert your family if you're on the mission, but otherwise, we see no reason to worry the rest of the galaxy. If Krane does turn out to be a major threat, then we'll sound the alarms. Apparently we have twenty-five hours, and we're going to use every single second to find out what he's planning and stop it. If we can't . . ." Malcolm swallowed. None of us wanted to think that failure was a possibility. "If we can't, then we'll warn everyone. Until then, please, keep this to yourselves. Consider it a mission of the utmost secrecy.

"The seminars will begin in fifteen minutes. Feel free to attend if you're not going on the Plenus mission. And thank you all for staying so calm while we sort this out. We know how hard it is." Malcolm bowed his head and muttered, but we still heard him. "Trust me, we know all too well."

Some people stood and began to move out of the hall. The doors had opened and people were free to leave. I looked at my brothers, wondering what our next move would be. As if he read my mind, Chase suggested that we go down and meet Mr. Davenport. So we moved down toward the stage, against the flow of people trying to leave. We got closer, calling our father's name. He walked up to us and nodded. With no words, we knew.

We were on the mission.

* * *

Fifty bionics crowded into the room, filling up ever chair and leaving some to stand against the walls. Up at the front stood Nathan Sway, Director of Bionic Missions. He was the one whose job it was to give us our assignments and missions, and this time was no exception. Mr. Davenport and a few of the other experts on bionic training stood to his left.

"We'll be sending you out in groups of around five," Sway said in his raspy voice. "You will each receive your group assignments in just a moment. Right now, I want you to understand _what_ you are doing.

"Each group will go to a different part of Plenus to scout it out and see if Krane or any other suspicious characters are there. Krane's army was destroyed long ago, but we have no idea if he's rebuilt it or not. If so, we may be in for a real fight." He looked over at Davenport and the others before saying, "Some of you will attend large events that are being held. We'll send you out to crowded places to find Krane and report what you see. If you find _any_ place that has a bomb or the like, you are to report it to the local authorities immediately and then contact us.

"None of us have any clue what we're up against. Exercise great caution, and if even the slightest thing goes wrong, contact us right away. We don't want to take more risks than necessary.

"Mission leaders, come get your assignments. If you are not in a mission group, come down and get them as well, and I'll show you which group you'll be joining."

Chase headed up to get our orders while Adam and I watched.

"So, when we get to Plenus," Adam said, leaning back in his chair, "I say we check out this cool new place called Atomic Tom's Steakhouse. They have a burger with five different kinds of meat!"

I raised my eyebrows. "And what makes you think Krane's going to be at a steakhouse?"

"I never said Krane would be there. I just want meat."

Luckily, Chase walked up at that moment, interrupting our weird conversation. Behind him trailed someone else—someone I recognized.

"Okay, got our orders," Chase said, holding up the piece of paper. "Oh, and this is Marcus. He'll be on the mission with us."

I grinned. "Good to see you again, Marcus."

He smiled too. "Hi, Bree."

Chase looked between us. "You know each other?"

"We met earlier," I said.

"Wait, that's the android you were flirting with?" Adam asked.

"Flirting?" Marcus lifted his eyebrow.

I coughed into my hand. "Anyway, Chase, what are we doing?"

"We're heading to Galatrix, to some fancy ball in the middle of the city. I'll explain the rest on the way. Davenport's letting us take his ship."

"He's not coming?"

"He's staying behind to track Krane's signal to see if they can locate him. Can you get us to the hanger bay, Bree?"

I sighed. "Always the mule. Okay, everyone, hop on!"

* * *

"Would you _stop that_!" Marcus shouted, pushing Adam's finger away from his face.

Adam grinned. "I found his annoyance button."

"Yeah, but you can find _anyone's_ annoyance button, android or not," I pointed out. "You know, Adam, why don't we switch? You come sit next to Chase and I'll sit next to Marcus."

"Sure thing." We got up to switch, and Adam made kissing faces at me when we passed. I shoved his arm and sat down, buckling myself in.

"Hey, Chase," Marcus asked, putting a hand on the back of the seat in front of him. "Aren't you a little young to be piloting this thing?"

Chase scoffed. "Please, I'm one of the smartest—if not _the_ smartest—people in the galaxy. I've got this."

"Plus it's on autopilot," Adam said.

Chase's face turned red. "There's that too."

"Okay, mission leader," I said, "what's our game plan?"

Chase turned so he could face all of us at once. "We're heading to the annual Galatrix Glamour Ball, held in one of those really fancy hotels downtown; the same hotel in the picture with the bomb. We're supposed to keep an eye out for Krane or anyone who could be working for him, as well as find the bomb and see if there're more. A lot of people attend; blowing that place up would be a great way to grab attention."

I frowned. "Great, a ball, and I didn't bring any of my dresses!"

"We've got that covered." Chase grinned and pulled out a wad of lusters, which, lucky for us, would pay for anything anywhere. There looked to be a couple hundred, enough for a nice dress and probably a few tuxes for the boys. "Back up cash in case we need anything, and I have a feeling we'll need some things. Our hotel reservations have already been made, and we also have tickets to the ball. We're all set."

"Wow, they work fast," Marcus said.

"That's the life of a bionic," I said. "When you're headed undercover, you don't have time to wait around. That's one of the reasons I like working with them."

"We're there to observe," Chase continued, "so don't make a show of yourself. We're supposed to blend in."

"That'll be easy for me. I don't know about you boys."

"Are you kidding? I can pull off sophisticated." Chase sat up so his back was erect. "And Marcus seems pretty well-put-together. The one you'd have to worry about is . . ."

We all looked at Adam, who was in the middle of rubbing his finger on his shoe and then sniffing it. "What?" he said once he noticed our stares.

Chase clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Adam, we need you to be a refined gentleman tonight."

"Sure thing. You need a fancy accent to go with that too? 'Ello there, gov'nor, I'm just out for some tea, I am!"

We all sighed. "Maybe we should just leave him at the hotel," I said.

"No, I can do this!" Adam said. "I can help, I promise. Okay, Chasey?"

"Fine, I guess we have to anyway. And don't call me Chasey!"

My brothers continued to bicker over Chase's nickname, and I turned to Marcus. "They're a little . . ." I trailed off, hoping he got it.

"Yeah," he said with a grin and one eyebrow raised. It was kinda adorable. "Don't worry, though, I've been around worse."

I chuckled. "I find that hard to believe."

Marcus nodded. "So . . . you think we can pull this off?"

"We're gonna have to. How familiar are you with Krane?"

Marcus's smile fell. He leaned forward and put his chin in his hands. For a few seconds he sat like that, then: "Too familiar."

Something about his tone told me not to push it. He turned and looked out the viewport to his left, so I did the same on my side. I watched as the stars raced past us, bringing us closer and closer to our destination; closer and closer to uncertainty.

* * *

 **Yay! So, nothing action-packed, but definitely important for what happens in the next chapter. This wasn't something I could skip over. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for all the reviews so far, by the way. They mean a lot to me. :)**

 **By the way, if anyone has seen The Force Awakens yet and wants to message me so we can cry/laugh/cheer/downright** ** _sob_** **together . . . I'm fine with that. I think some ranting would do me good after that beautiful, two-hour emotion-destroyer. XD**

 **But anyway, reviews are much appreciated! However, I should let you guys know: Any guest reviews with short, pointless phrases ("Love it!" "Wha..?" "UPDATE SOON!") will be deleted.** ** _Especially_** **ones demanding me to update. I've been mulling this over for a while, and I've already deleted similar reviews on other stories. Thing is, I don't want useless phrases (again, especially "Update soon!") exaggerating my review count. Demanding that I update doesn't help anyone, least of all me, and honestly I'm tired of opening emails only to be disappointed that all I get is some anon acting like I'm not a human being with a life and feelings. So.**

 **Done with the vent. Don't get me wrong; I love reviews! And they don't have to be six paragraphs long with notes on every bit of my story, but something a little more than acting like you have the power to snap your fingers and make me post a new chapter is appreciated. I hope I'm not coming across as mean-spirited; I'm more worn-out than anything. But yeah. Review (thoughtfully) anyway, and if I'm being a jerk, let me know. Props for honesty. XD**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed that one, and hopefully I'll be able to update soon with the next chapter: "Chapter 5: May I Have This Dance?" Bye! :D**

* * *

 *** * * Glossary/Pronunciation Key * * ***

* * *

 **Galatrix (gal-uh-ticks) - The capital city of Plenus; population of around 25 million.**

 **Galatrix Glamour Ball - An annual ball hosted by the rich of Plenus as a socializing event to bring the city together.**

 **Luster - The most accepted form of currency in the galaxy. Is used on hundreds of planets and is the official currency of the Galactic Alliance of Planets. Physical appearance is that of a thin sheet of gold paper. (Real life equivalent: the dollar. Special thanks to ProcrastinationMajor, formerly soccermonkey413, for the idea.)**

 *** (star) - Used on social media as a sort of tag by which other readers can find posts. (Real life equivalent: #, or hashtag.)**


	6. Chapter 5: May I Have This Dance?

**Heya folks! I'm back! :D By the way, to clear up some confusion from my A/N last chapter, I don't mind at all if you ask me to update soon (I say it all the time), but I'd like it in conjunction with something else. Give me a** ** _reason_** **to update, I guess. Thanks. I appreciate it. ^_^ (Also, I can't delete signed reviews, so all users can really do whatever they want and I can't do anything about it, so . . . :P)**

 **Gosh, this chapter . . . so I picked my** ** _favorite_** **instrumental for the soundtrack on this one (Love and Loss, by Mattia Cupelli), and, well, I think it's perfect because it can reflect a wide array of emotions. Joy, peace, romance, fear, hurt, anger, sadness . . . all of which are found in this chapter. This is where things definitely pick up, and if any of you are curious about Marcus's allegiances . . . you'll find out about them soon enough.**

 **A lot of this chapter is fluff, and I don't regret it a bit. Sibling bonding and some** ** _very_** **strong Maree vibes (as far as I can go without it actually be true romance). This is the last chapter to contain stuff like this, so I hope you like it. (Also, again, one of my betas hasn't gotten back to me yet, so I might revise some parts of this later.)**

 **Also, just so you guys know, I'll be gone on vacation next week, which hopefully means a bit more writing (maybe), but I don't know about the wi-fi situation or if I'll be able to post or stuff. Probably doesn't matter, but I might as well give you a heads up. :)**

 **I don't own Lab Rats, of course. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 soundtrack: "Love and Loss" by Mattia Cupelli**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 5: May I Have This Dance? * * ***

* * *

My reflection stared back at me as I slid the lipstick across my lips. I pressed them together then out again, spreading the color all over. I grinned at myself and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

As I stood, I checked myself over in the mirror one more time. I played with my wavy hair, getting it to lay just right, and straightened my dress—a lovely purple one I had talked the boys into letting me get. I picked up the matching purse from the bed and walked out into the hallway.

"Guys, are you ready?" I called as I knocked on the door to the hotel room next to mine.

"Give us just a minute!" Adam hollered back.

So I turned and leaned on the wall, staring up at the ceiling. I felt so beautiful, and I could hardly believe that the only reason I getting so fancy was to stop Krane. It felt a little selfish to get so pretty while on a mission. I had to get a short, modest dress so I would be able to run and move on the off chance we wound up in a fight during the night.

Krane was still alive.

All day I had thought about what it meant for my life. Because at that point, we all knew it was not a prank. We could delude ourselves into thinking it—we could hope beyond hope that it was only a trick—but we all knew the truth deep down.

Our greatest enemy was still alive. Last time he wrecked havoc on our galaxy, starting the first war in three thousand years. He had taken trillions of lives before the Galactic Alliance of Planets was able to stop him. GAP had taken their sweet time adjusting to the crisis; would it happen again? How many lives would be taken this time? Would Krane hurt all these people? Was he seriously about to kill that many to conquer the galaxy?

The boys walked out of their room, interrupting my thoughts. All three of them looked sharp, dressed in their new tuxedos. Adam grinned and offered me his arm. The four of us walked together down the hall to the elevator.

Adam hit the button and his grin widened. "See, I can totally be a gentleman," he said.

"I've got to admit, you're doing a pretty good job so far," I said as we stepped in.

On the ride down, I checked my makeup in the shiny metal doors. I caught Chase looking at himself as he smoothed down his hair. "What?" he said. "If you can check your makeup, I can check my hair. We've all got to look perfect tonight."

"I think you look amazing, Bree," Marcus said.

I blushed. "Thanks. So do you."

The ball was at the hotel down the street. We walked down the well-lit sidewalk, staring in wonder at the blinking lights all around us. The sun had set two hours before, but the street was bright as day. Every color imaginable decorated the illuminated signs above our heads. Speeders and bikes flew down the road to our right, and some friendly fliers waved at us. We walked past shops selling all manner of items, including the store where we'd bought our clothes. It all looked so serene, yet so vibrant and full of life at the same time.

If we failed, who knew what Krane would do to all these people? The gravity of it hit me for the first time. Krane wanted all these people dead; he wanted the city razed to the ground. If we failed, that was exactly what he would do. We could not let that happen.

Adam must've felt my hand tense up in his arm, because he said, "Is something wrong, Bree?"

"No," I said, still observing the amazing world around me. "I've just suddenly realized how important this mission is."

Chase nodded, then sent me a comforting grin. "Don't worry, Bree. We'll pull it off. We always do."

He was right. We'd never failed a mission before. What made me think we'd start now? Krane would fall again. The galaxy was more prepared this time around. I took a deep breath. Nothing to worry about, I told myself. Nothing at all.

Soon we reached the hotel and took the elevator up to the twentieth floor where the ball would be held. We handed our tickets over to some people sitting behind a table and walked into the ballroom. Out in the middle of the floor people danced, and on the opposite side of the room a band played in front of the tall windows overlooking the city. Around the edges were tables where couples took a break from dancing.

Adam winced. "Wow, so this is a ball. Fancy."

"Listen," Chase hissed to us, "we're not here just to dance. Keep an eye out for anything that looks out of place, and use every excuse to slip away and search for bombs or weapons. But try to blend in, too! Marcus, why don't you come with me and we can do a quick search for the bomb in the picture? Adam, Bree, go dance."

I wanted to protest about having to dance with my brother, but at that point I knew better than to disobey my mission leader's orders. I gave him the stink eye to let him know that I wasn't happy about it, but I let Adam whisk me away to the dance floor.

Adam wrapped an arm around my waist and I put a hand on his shoulder. We danced in silence, moving with the music. My brother actually impressed me with his dancing skills. They were basic, but it was enough to pass us off as people who belonged. We went through the whole song, and towards the end Adam got a sort of goofy grin on his face.

"What?" I asked.

Adam spun me around gently and said, "Remember when we used to do this when we were little?"

I furrowed my brow and then laughed as the memories came back. "Oh, yeah!"

"I pretended to be your prince and we danced all over the lab. Even spun you so hard once you threw up."

"I remember that. You think I'd be used to that, considering I have super speed."

"Eh, we'd only just started training." Adam pulled me a little closer and rubbed my back. "You're getting so big."

"Well, that's what happens when you get older."

"No matter how old you get, you'll always be my little sister."

"Aw. What's got you so sappy all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I blame this slow music! Seriously, what about getting all fancied up and coming to dance around to music that puts you to sleep is fun? I'd rather be chucking Chase across the room, but I'm going to assume that it's not _refined_ to do that, is it?"

"For once you'd be right. But we're not here to have fun, remember? We've got a job to do."

The song ended and everyone clapped. As Adam and I got ready for the next song, a girl about my age walked up.

"I just have to say," she said in a voice so chipper it sounded fake, "you two make an adorable couple."

I coughed in surprise and Adam chuckled, pulling me closer. "Yup, meet my wife, Joan."

I shoved him away. "Actually," I said to the girl, "we're brother and sister."

"Oh, you are?" Something about her voice told me that she had suspected that all along. Couldn't blame her; it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Adam and I looked similar because we shared the same DNA. The girl turned to my brother. "So that means you're single?"

"Yes I am," Adam said with a grin. He moved closer and took the her hand. "How about you and I hit the dance floor now?"

She giggled and the two started to move away. Before they could, I grabbed Adam's arm and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Blending in," he whispered back. "Chi!"

"It's ciao!" I called as he ran off to dance with the stranger.

For a moment I wondered if she was a spy sent by Krane to sabotage us, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how ludicrous the idea was. Not even a spy could fake that kind of perkiness and, well, fakery. She was a typical, bubbly, sheltered rich girl who had probably never traveled off her home world or even heard about Krane. At least, that was my impression of her.

On the off chance she was a spy from Krane, hopefully Adam would be smart enough to keep his big mouth shut. _Yeah, if she's a spy, we're all doomed_.

Since my brother ditched me, I decided the best thing to do would be to scout around the room and look for anything out of the ordinary. After several minutes, however, I had yet to find anything suspicious. Everyone in the room looked to be a wealthy socialite, and only a handful were under the age of forty-five. From what I saw, there were no deadly devices hidden in plain sight.

Finally I gave up and moved over to the window. The view from above Galatrix was just as lovely. The city spread out as far as the eye could see, with skyscrapers standing out against the horizon every so often. The whole city looked alive, giving off a warm yellow glow. I leaned my forehead on the glass and watched, completely enthralled by the beautiful scene. It was possible that I had found a place even more lovely than the cliff back on Mission.

After a few minutes I realized I had seen that view before: the window was the same one the bomb had been planted in. I looked down at my feet, but there was no bomb. So either Krane moved it or my brothers found it. I looked around for Chase, but I didn't see him and I didn't want to move. So instead I turned around and looked out over the city again.

Despite the beauty of the planet and the soft music playing in the background, I couldn't help but feel like something was off. Not just about the ball; about the whole mission. Ever since we'd landed on Plenus, I'd had an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Obviously I was already nervous and rushed, seeing as how Krane had returned from the dead that afternoon. But it was something more than that. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but _something_ about our mission made me uneasy; _something_ about the planet made me feel edgy; _something_ here was wrong.

Beyond the blinking lights of Galatrix, way off in the distance, was a dry, desert-like area. I squinted and looked at it. I felt some inexplicable pull to that area. Like there was something out there, calling to me, beckoning me to come. . . .

"Hey."

I jumped at the voice and spun around. Then I exhaled and said, "Oh, Marcus, it's just you. You scared me."

"Sorry about that. What are you looking at?"

"Just the city." I drew a finger over the glass. "Adam ditched me and I can't find any evidence of Krane." I looked out over the scene below, trying to ignore the desert beyond. "It's really beautiful out there."

"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered.

I laughed. "Aren't androids not supposed to have emotions?"

He looked at the floor and smiled. "My creator designed me a little differently." He looked back up and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I took his hand and we walked to the center of the ballroom. Together we began to dance in time with the music, Marcus holding me closer than I thought he would. He felt surprisingly warm for an android. For a second I forgot about _what_ he was and instead focused on _who_ he was. Why couldn't more human boys be gentlemen like him?

"Can I tell you a secret?" he said as we danced. "This afternoon, I wasn't really lost. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. I know I'm just an android, but—"

"You're a cute android is what you are." I felt myself blush but recovered quickly. "So shut up and spin me!"

Marcus laughed. The music slowed and he spun me around lightly. Then it picked up again and we swayed across the dance floor. All thoughts of my brothers, of my mission, and of Krane fled my mind. There wasn't anything I would trade for that moment. Android or no, Marcus was cute and sweet. Even if it was just programming and not true emotion, it still felt good to receive the affection.

Before I knew it, we got closer and closer. Our faces were only a few inches away. I felt like leaning in even closer, but at that moment the song ended. We pulled apart as everyone clapped.

Another song started up. Marcus grinned and twirled me around, then brought me nearer. And so it went for the rest of the night. We danced together, and even Chase had a hard time pulling us apart when it was time to keep looking for anything suspicious.

* * *

"Just had the best dance of my life. Who cares if he's not a human? *android *CUTE," I read aloud before hitting the _post_ button.

Of course, I couldn't say anything about our mission or the bomb search, both of which had revealed nothing. Krane must've moved the bomb by the window before we got there and been smart enough not to plant any more. We would continue looking around in the morning. Hopefully all the scientists and hackers working on the problem back in the Falken system would have more information for us by then.

Until then, I was content to relax in my room and take a breather after such a crazy day. I had already taken off my dress and put on my clothes from earlier, which would have to serve as pajamas tonight.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I shouted that it was unlocked. Someone came in and stood behind me. I could see his reflection in my computer screen and I grinned.

"Hey, Marcus," I said as I tapped my friend's post to open and read it.

"Hey, Bree." His voice sounded a bit strained, but I guessed he was only tired from such a long night. Wait, could androids even get tired? "What are you up to?"

"Just updating my friends on StarChat. It's a little easier on the computer, and the hotel lets me use this one for free."

"That's nice."

"Nice?" This time it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. I looked at Marcus's reflection. He had his hands shoved into his pockets and his head bowed. "What's wrong? Are Adam and Chase giving you a hard time."

"No. Quite the opposite, actually."

"Oh. What are they doing?"

"They're, uh . . . asleep. Yeah. Asleep."

"Hmm. Chase too? He likes to stay up late during missions and work things out. He's weird like that."

"Chase too."

"Wow. That's a little odd." I furrowed my brow. "Is he feeling okay?"

Marcus stayed silent.

"Marcus?" I asked, still not turning around. "What's going on?"

He sighed and in my screen I saw him take something out of his pocket. "Orders, Bree," he whispered.

Now I stood up. "Wait, Marcus, that's a stunner!"

He lunged at me, but I managed to duck away and get over by the bed. "What are you doing?" I screamed.

"Orders!" he shouted back. "I'm not about to disobey!"

Marcus jumped on me and pinned me to the floor. I tried to fight him off, but it soon became clear that he was much stronger than me. He turned on the stunner. "I'm sorry, Bree," he whispered, genuine regret in his eyes.

Then he pressed the stunner against my neck, right above my chip. I felt the jolt go through my body as I screamed bloody murder. I'm not certain, but I'm fairly sure that a tear rolled down my cheek as I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **So . . . shouldn't be a total shock if you're familiar with the show. Sorry Marcus-lovers, but he's evil even here. (Or is he simply misguided and afraid?) Of course, that begs the question . . . is he with Krane? Also, how on earth does he know Bree's Scientist's Fingerprint? (Shouldn't be that hard to figure out if you remember that all family relations are the same as the canon.)**

 **Reviews are much loved. What did you think? Yeah, this is where the plot is really going to pick up. Marcus is shown to be evil and working for someone evil. What'll he do with Bree? Will Krane destroy Plenus? What's going to happen next? Send me your theories, 'cause I'm really curious. :P**

 **Also, random thing, but TheMeepyFreak is doing this neat forum-interview thingy, and she's already interviewed me and posted it on there. Users with accounts can reply to the forum and ask me more questions, and I'll post all the answers in public for everyone to see. ;) The link is at the top of my profile, so I would** ** _really_** **appreciate it if you checked it out. (And TheMeepyFreak, as well, because she is undoubtedly one of the best authors in these archives.)**

 **I think that's about it. Review and stuff, and I'll see you guys next time for Chapter 6: You and That Army. Bye!**

* * *

 ** _* * * Glossary/Pronunciation Key * * *_**

* * *

 **Bikes - A one-person version of a speeder, usually a slimmer and sometimes even faster. (Loosely based off of the Star Wars speeder bikes. Real life equivalent: motorcycles.)**

 **Computer - An electronic device used for communication and information processing. (Just like our computers, but, y'know, in space.)**

 **Speeders - A method of transportation used on the surface of a planet. Hovers a few feet above the ground, but can't go much higher than that. (Based off of the Star Wars landspeeders. Real life equivalent: cars.)**

 **Stunner - A device/weapon used to temporarily incapacitate an enemy without seriously harming them by giving them a small electric shock. (Real life equivalent: tasers.)**


	7. Chapter 6: You and That Army

**Hey, and I'm back already! Once again, however, I might go back and edit parts of this later. We'll see.**

 **So, Marcus is revealed to be evil. But who's he working for? What's the situation with Krane right now? Will he be stopped? What happened to Adam and Chase? What did Marcus do with Bree?** ** _Some_** **of those questions will be answered in a moment.**

 **I feel like this chapter is really intense. (Especially the last part) I hope it's intense. You'll have to tell me if it's intense. It's got an intense soundtrack. (Which, oddly enough, is also the soundtrack to the chapters of WDF and Fight Until the End that I'm posting today. Totally weird coincidence. XD If you listen to the soundtracks for my stories, get ready to listen to that song a lot today!)**

 **I don't think there's much more to say. I don't own Lab Rats, just all the worlds, people, and objects you don't recognize. Enjoy.**

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 **Chapter 6 soundtrack: "Watch You Crawl" by Red.**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 6: You and That Army * * ***

* * *

When I woke up, I was on the floor. That much was obvious. As consciousness returned, I blinked and sat up with a groan. Eventually I was able to assess my surroundings.

A cell. I sat in some kind of cell. Or a closet. Or something like that. The walls were sheer metal and I had a few meters above my head when I stood up. The room was big enough for me to walk around in, but not by much.

I slumped down and pulled my knees up to my chest. Where was I? Why was there no door? Was there even a way out?

The panic began to rise in my chest, but I took a deep breath and shoved it back down. Now was not the time to freak out. I tried to banish my pulsing headache so I could think straight. How did I wind up here?

 _Marcus._

What had happened? He betrayed us? Why? Was he working for Krane? But there was no way. . . .

I examined every part of my cell. Four walls, four sharp corners, zero ways out. I ran my hands along the wall, hoping to find some kind of hidden door. My breathing quickened when I didn't, so I sat down and concentrated on keeping a level head.

 _This is a dream . . . maybe? Just some kind of dream. You'll wake up soon._ I pinched myself, but nothing happened. I was still trapped in some kind of metal cage. Were the walls getting closer?

Then, at the moment I was about to give into my panic, one of the walls slid away and revealed some kind of hallway. I stood again and walked closer, looking around suspiciously. As I tried to walk out of the door, however, some invisible shield shocked me and I stumbled back, coughing into my arm.

A laugh echoed through the room and a figure moved in front of me. I backed up against the wall, eyes wide with fear. For the first time, I came face to face with a figure who had terrorized the galaxy and would now likely terrorize me. He tapped something on the wall and walked into my cell, his shoulders still shaking with laughter.

"Trying to escape, are we? You won't get far."

"Krane," I growled.

He grinned. "You recognize me? I'm flattered."

I swallowed, trying desperately to get my voice back. "Everyone does. You're kind of the biggest villain the galaxy's ever seen."

Krane chuckled. "I guess I am at that."

"So . . . you really are alive?"

He held out his arms and walked closer. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Um, yes." Then to myself I muttered, "But not for long."

Now, my instinct when faced with an enemy is to take them down. So I threw a quick jab at Krane's head, shocked that my super-speed was still activated. However, it turned out that Krane was just as fast as I was. He grabbed my wrist and swung it around behind my back, pinning my hand between my shoulder blades. Then he grabbed my other hand and put it behind my back as well.

"Don't bother trying to resist," he hissed in my ear. "I'm a hundred times more powerful than you will ever be."

As much as I wanted to fight back, Krane's bone-crushing grip proved he was right. Mr. Davenport taught us to save our energy and wait for an opening; now was not the time to put up a fight. So I heaved a sigh, gritted my teeth, and bowed my head.

Krane recognized my motion of defeat. "Good girl."

He pushed me out into the hall and together we walked down it.

"So," I said, hoping that, if I couldn't fight him, maybe I could at least get on Krane's nerves, "I bet you spend a fortune on facials."

Krane didn't respond; he only grunted and shoved me harder.

We kept going like that, in complete silence, down endless grey corridors. Most of them didn't even have doors. All were dimly lit, with electric lanterns every few meters. Cold and creepy, and, if I had to take a guess, probably underground where no one could find it.

It took about ten minutes for it to hit me. Krane had me as a prisoner. How? Marcus. Marcus _did_ work for Krane. How could I not know? How could I let him fool me? Did he get my brothers too?

 _Adam and Chase . . ._

"Where are my brothers?" I snapped, anger flooding through me.

"They're here as well," Krane replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "If you behave maybe you'll get to see them."

"You're not going to get away with this."

"Oh, I'm not?"

"We'll stop you just like before!"

"On the contrary, I think I will be able to bring your precious government and their weak bionic allies to their knees."

"You and what army?"

Krane laughed. "If you must know . . ." He shoved me around the corner, and I felt like ice water had been dumped down the back of my shirt. There in front of us was a large window, and on the other side was a massive white room several meters below us. Thousands of kids, teens, and young adults wandered around, some eating at tables, some playing on computers or holotabs, and many more using bionic abilities against one another.

"Me and that army," Krane hissed in my ear.

Krane had rebuilt his revolutionary army. The number of kids below us was enough for a full-size military, and I had the sickening feeling that these weren't even all the bionics Krane had.

As if he read my mind, he said, "This is only the Plenus group. I have millions more around the galaxy. Still think you can stop me?"

"Yes." But my voice faltered that time.

Krane seemed ready to move on to wherever we were headed, but a voice made him pause. Someone called his name, and we both turned to see a middle-aged man with spiky hair running toward us.

"All right, the army's ready to go," he said as he came up, not even winded. "Everything's ready, in fact. Marcus and I are waiting for your command."

"Marcus?" I whispered.

The man noticed me and a grin spread across his face. "I see Bree's up," he said. "Good. It'll be so nice to have all three of them together again."

"How do you know my name? What have you done to my brothers? Who are you?"

Krane looked at him. "Would you like to introduce yourself to our _guest_?"

The man shrugged, and his grin looked ready to pop off his face. He looked me in the eye and said, "I've been waiting a _long_ time for this. I'm Douglas Davenport."

 _Davenport?_ I rose an eyebrow.

"I'm your father."

My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "Father?" I finally repeated.

"Creator, dad, the genius who gave you life, whatever term you want to use. The only reason you've never met me was because my brother ripped you away from me." He frowned while saying that.

 _Douglas Davenport . . . Donald Davenport . . . father?_

Then something else clicked in my brain, and I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You're the traitor," I whispered. "You're the one who turned bionics over to Krane."

Douglas grinned. "Hey, she's even smarter than the third one."

"Chase; his name is Chase."

"Yeah, I know; I named him. So, Krane." Douglas turned to face the man holding me captive. "Should we take a look at her system now?"

"What are you going to do with me?" I growled.

Douglas laughed. "Oh, just use an app that takes over your system and puts you completely under my control. It won't hurt . . . much."

"Wait until later," Krane said. "I want all three of them to see what I do to this planet."

Douglas shrugged and followed Krane as he continued to march me down the hall.

I kept sneaking glances over at the man who claimed to be my dad. It wasn't too far-fetched, honestly. We all knew Davenport wasn't our real father. Could Douglas be lying? But I couldn't help but notice how much he looked like an older version of Chase. The more I stared, the more I realized that he looked like all of us, in one way or another. The sinking feeling in my stomach grew. Douglas caught me staring at him, and I quickly turned my head away.

How did I know Douglas was the traitor? I couldn't rightly answer that. If he was our father, as he claimed, then he obviously knew about our bionic systems. And if he really was Mr. Davenport's brother, then wouldn't it make sense that they worked on bionics together?

I'd had enough crazy revelations for one day. Krane was still alive, Marcus betrayed us, and my real father was the infamous traitor that has been and will be hated for all of history. Consider my brain officially exploded.

We came down another hall and at the end, beside a door, stood Marcus. He leaned back with his arms folded across his chest, and he straightened as we walked up. He looked much more intense than when I had met him, but his eyebrow still hovered high on his face.

"How could you?" I spat as we got closer.

Marcus shrugged, shooting me a cold glare. "I was told to do it. I wasn't about to disobey."

"He's my best creation, besides you three," Douglas said, patting Marcus on the back. I couldn't help but notice Marcus stiffen at those words. "I guess that kinda makes you two like siblings."

"Great," I said, faking a laugh. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder, it turns out I have an android brother who hates my guts. Like I needed one more sibling! Couldn't you have at least made him a girl?"

Douglas only shrugged as Krane threw me into the room behind the door with a hard shove. I looked up to see Adam and Chase, both with heads bowed and arms held high above their heads with electrical chains. I shouted their names, and they looked up at me with something between excitement at seeing me alive and fear of our current situation.

Marcus came up behind me and pushed me against the wall next to Chase. "Hands up," he said, his voice gruff and emotionless.

"Make me," I said, doing my best to imitate his tone.

"Fine." Marcus grabbed my hands and pushed them up and against the wall. Douglas pressed something on the other side of the door, and the electrical chains snapped down to secure my wrists. More came up around my feet and successfully pinned me to the wall.

"You'll regret this," I hissed.

"I'm an android. I don't feel regret."

Marcus walked away, leaving me seething. I got control of myself and looked over at my brothers, ready to question them.

Before I could, however, Krane came in and stood in front of us. "I don't want you to miss any of the fun," he said with a grin.

A screen appeared on the wall opposite us, showing us many different locations on Plenus. Some looked like live aerial shots, and others were security cameras posted on skyscrapers. In the bottom right corner was a timer, currently set at twenty-two minutes and thirteen seconds.

"I have several bombs all over Plenus," Krane said. "In twenty minutes they will all go off, and I will finally tell the galaxy of my return."

"Do you know how many people will die?" Chase shouted.

Krane laughed. "That's the point, my boy. Watch, bionics, as the people you were supposed to protect are slaughtered. Watch as you fail to save them." His laugh got darker and deeper, and he walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Now it was just me and my brothers, all of us watching the live footage of what would soon be one of the worst massacres in the galaxy's history.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "Marcus knocked you guys out?"

Chase nodded numbly, but Adam said, "With a stunner and everything. It's like the guy knows us!"

"If Douglas really is our father, than I guess he does. Wait, did he tell you about that?"

"Douglas?" Chase said. "Yeah. Can't believe our real dad is on Krane's side."

I almost told them about Douglas being the traitor—since I doubted they knew it yet, the dunces—but I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut at that moment. We had more important things to deal with.

"What do we do?" I watched as normal, everyday people wandered around on the footage, going about their lives and completely unaware of the tragedy just about to happen.

"We can't let Krane do this," Chase said.

"But how do we get out?" Adam asked. "In case you haven't noticed, we're kinda trapped."

"Do you think Krane captured the other bionics from the mission?" I asked.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Chase replied. "And if he didn't, I doubt they know how to stop him. You know, I'm willing to bet Krane is controlling all this from some main computer—and it has to be around here somewhere. If we could get out of this cell, we could find it and bring him down."

"Right, but how do we do that?"

"I don't know. These are electrichains. We can move around some, but if we move too far away from the wall they'll start to shock us. Theoretically, we could break them off if we got far enough away, but not before they seriously hurt us."

"Are our bionics off? I can't tell without running, and I'm kind of scared to do that right now."

"Yes, these chains block our abilities. This whole facility—wherever it is—blocks the signals from our chips, so I can't contact Mr. Davenport or anyone else. But it doesn't block the _abilities_ on our chips, which I guess makes sense, since Krane and his soldiers would need to use theirs, too." Chase sighed. "If only we had some kind of electromagnetic pulse. Then we could—"

Chase was interrupted when Adam screamed, and we looked over to see our brother walking forward, yelling as the chains shocked him. We shouted at him to stop, telling him that he would only hurt himself. But Adam kept going. I wanted to look away as the chains continued to send dangerous currents through my brother's body, but for some reason, I couldn't. I felt sure that Adam couldn't actually break free; he would die before that happened. I screamed at him to stop one more time, but he ignored me.

Finally the chains let out a dying hiss and retracted into the wall. Adam fell to the ground, groaning and coughing. After a few seconds, he looked up at us and grinned weakly. "It hurts," he said, his voice quaking, "but it's possible. Screw electricity!"

"Adam, can you break down the doors?" Chase asked, a smile starting to form on his face.

"Give me a minute." Adam buried his face in the floor and groaned again.

"Chase," I said, "how long do you think it would take to bring down Krane's computer—the one controlling the bombs?"

Chase shrugged. "Anywhere from five to forty minutes. But judging by the equipment I've already seen in this facility, I'd say it would take longer rather than shorter."

"Right . . . and how long would it take you to hack into the computer to deactivate these chains?"

"That should only take a couple minutes. But it'll be longer if I have to tell Adam how to do it. Adam, you should be able to punch through the wall and get to the control panel on the other side; your strength should be back now."

"I said give me a minute!"

"So we need to hack into the computer controlling these chains," I said, "then we need to find Krane, and then we need to hack his computer." I glanced at the timer on the screen. _19:31_. "We don't have a minute." I gulped, knowing what had to be done.

Each step forward was pure agony. The chains resisted every movement, and I could feel the electricity spreading through me. I screamed and tried to block the pain, to ignore the torture of it all. I gritted my teeth and pressed forward.

 _For the people . . ._

 _For the planet . . ._

 _For the galaxy . . ._

I yelped and dropped to my knees, feeling the chains release their excruciatingly painful grip on me. I lay on the floor, twitching and breathing hard. Chase's screams came from somewhere above me, and I heard him fall to floor nearby. As the seconds passed, I felt my body recover, and I looked up to see Adam staggering to the door, ready to break it down.

After a few minutes, Chase and I stood as well, running up to our brother in time for him to begin pounding on the door. We hoped against hope that Douglas, Marcus, or Krane weren't on the other side. We couldn't afford any distractions. I glanced at the time again. _16:42_.

We were free. Now to stop Krane.

However, there was a horrible feeling deep in my gut—not unusual these days—that the pain from the chains was just a taste of what would come next. We all hoped for a painless win, but deep down all three of us knew that Krane would not go down easily . . . if he would go down at all.

* * *

 **Oooooh! Ticking time bomb(s). Think they can stop Krane before he kills millions of people? They're the Davenports! They can do it! Right?**

 **Shocker, Douglas is their dad! That was hard to write considering about 99.99% of LR fans already know that. So I kept it simple. And yes, he is the traitor; in other words, he's the one who sold all the secrets about bionics to Krane, and therefore the one responsible for the Bionic War and everything that's about to happen now. You can go back and re-read chapter one if you need a refresher on all that. (Or you can PM me, and I'll explain it as best I can without spoilers.)**

 **Reviews are loved. :3 Special thanks to two guests who reviewed last chapter: One who gave me a good kick-in-the-pants and is the reason I'm updating so many stories today, and another for giving me their reason for a justification for war. I found that particularly amusing considering this chapter. Do you think war would be justified yet?**

 **So anyway, goes to show that reviews can do great things. Keep them coming, 'cause they keep me updating. Let me know your thoughts/theories about what will happen next, because they excite me! :D You might even get a shout-out in my next A/N if your theories are wild and/or accurate enough. ;) Until then, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you later for Chapter 7: Fight Forever. Bye!**

* * *

 ** _* * * Glossary/Pronunciation key * * *_**

* * *

 **Electrichains (ee-lek-tra-chayns) - A special kind of chain made of electricity and primarily used to keep prisoners from escaping. Sends out electric jolts if the captive moves around too much.**

 **Holotabs (ha-low-tabs) - A handheld device larger than a holophone but smaller than a computer that can process and store information.**


	8. Chapter 7: Fight Forever

**I don't know how long it's been. I don't** ** _want_** **to know how long it's been. My sincerest apologies to all my loyal readers, and if you are still reading this, thank you so,** ** _so_** **much. I haven't been writing very much fanfiction over the past several months ("Oh, really, Rosie? We haven't noticed.), and most of what I have written is for Zootopia. A lot of my latest ideas have been for original fiction, which I'm very excited about. However, that doesn't mean I've given up on Lab Rats. Give me time. Please, have patience. I love War Torn, and believe me, it** ** _will_** **be finished.**

 **So I believe I left you guys on a cliffhanger last time, didn't I? Whoopsie. Well, just be glad I left you hanging on chapter 6 and not on chapter 7. Oh, this one's a doozy. ;)**

 **Remember, Krane's got several bombs set to go off around Plenus (a highly populated and politically significant planet) in a few minutes. You may want to go back and read the last few chapters in case you've forgotten stuff. My fault, not yours. ^^;**

 **I have been dreaming of this chapter for ages (nearly two years), and so I really hope you enjoy, even if it's long overdue. The soundtrack for this chapter is my favorite song of all time, and the chapter title comes from one of its lines. The chapter title _also_ comes from one of my favorite fanfictions _ever_ , "Fight Forever" by crystaltears24. If you've never read it . . . what are you doing with your life?! Go read it now, now, NOW! **

**I don't own Lab Rats, never have, never will. I do own any characters, worlds, objects, etc. that you don't recognize. The plot of this story is entirely mine. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 7 soundtrack: "Not Gonna Die" by Skillet.**

* * *

 *** * * Chapter 7: Fight Forever * * ***

* * *

 _15:00_

* * *

We ran through the hallways, hardly believing our luck. No one came out; no guards, no Krane, no Douglas, no Marcus. Every corridor we went down was completely deserted.

"This is easy," Adam said as we took another turn.

"Too easy," Chase muttered. "And we still haven't found Krane's main control room."

Adam skidded to a stop ahead of me and Chase. He looked into a room on our right that didn't have a door. "I think we just did."

Chase and I ran up, looking in. There stood Krane amidst several computer screens and other illegal-looking lab equipment. He turned around and grinned at us. "Come to see my work firsthand?" he said.

"More like come to stop you," Chase said as we took our fighting stances.

"Good luck with that. I've already won. You can't stop what I've started!"

"I accept that challenge."

As we got ready to move in on Krane, however, we heard footsteps behind us. There stood Douglas and Marcus, fists raised and ready for a fight. Adam, Chase, and I moved closer together, trying to keep an eye on all our enemies. We weren't outnumbered, but I had yet to figure out if we were outmatched—though admittedly Douglas did not seem particularly dangerous.

"No, no," Krane said, waving his hand. "I want to fight them alone."

Douglas and Marcus took a step back, looking shocked. Douglas's face paled. "Alone?" he repeated, looking between us and Krane.

"Yes. Get out, Douglas."

Douglas took another step back, but he didn't seem to want to leave. "Just don't hurt—"

"Out!" Krane growled.

Marcus grabbed Douglas's shoulder and together they walked out of the room. Marcus shot me a cool glare before they left, and I took a deep breath.

"They say pride goes before a fall," Chase quipped.

"And you're about to fall hard!" Adam shouted, a goofy grin sliding across his face.

Krane chuckled. "Enough talking." He sent out a blast wave that knocked us all off our feet. Adam hopped up first and charged at Krane, wrestling him around the room.

"You and Adam keep Krane distracted," Chase whispered to me. "I'll figure out how to deactivate the computer."

"Fine, but hurry!" I said.

Up on the wall was a screen with a similar image to the one in our cell. All those people still wandered around, and we didn't have long at all before their innocent lives would be cut short.

* * *

 _10:00_

* * *

I leapt to my feet, as did Chase. He ran over to the main computer along the left wall and frantically began typing. I charged at Adam and Krane, ready to be a distraction.

Adam had pushed Krane back against the wall, but our opponent growled and threw Adam to the other side of the room. I frowned and began running in a vortex around Krane. He only shot a fireball at me, knocking me over and deactivating my speed.

Adam ran back up and shot his heat vision at Krane's head. Krane held up his hands and collected the fire, shooting it back at Adam. I attacked him from behind, but he only threw me off with an impressive amount of strength.

After a minute or two of this, Krane set his sights on a new victim: Chase. He sent a blast wave at my younger brother, slamming him into the computer screens. Chase moaned, but neither he nor the screens looked damaged.

"Guys, a little help!" he shouted.

Adam and I threw ourselves at Krane, but he only shrugged us off as if we were insects. It got pretty irritating. How could one man be so powerful?

Krane began lifting various objects in the lab with telekinesis. He threw a table at Adam, pinning my brother to the floor. Adam's head lolled back and I scurried over, whispering his name. He looked up and me and coughed. With a tremendous sigh he pushed over the table. Adam sat up, gripping his side while wiping some blood off his neck.

"Krane can throw a punch," he muttered.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Eh, I've been worse. Hey, Chase, maybe you could help us more if you were a bit stronger!"

"Now, Adam, now?" Chase shouted. He had his force field up in front of him, blocking the various objects Krane threw his way. "You're not helping!"

Chase's force field faltered and finally dropped. Krane hurled a metal box at him and Chase yelped, falling backwards on the keyboards. He pushed himself up, his arm shaking. Drops of blood rolled down his forehead like thick red tears. With a scream he used his molecularkinesis to pick up the box, sending it flying at his adversary. Krane fell back onto the floor, but it was obvious that he was far from being down for good.

Adam leapt on him and pounded on his back, but Krane rolled over and hit Adam in the stomach, causing my brother to roll over in pain.

I ran up to Krane as he stood, throwing a hundred punches a minute with my super-speed. I caught him in the jaw, the chest, and the stomach, but it hardly seemed to faze him. Once he recovered the from the shock, he punched me several times with his own speed. Finally I took a step back, gasping for breath.

* * *

 _5:00_

* * *

"How's it going, Chase?" Adam shouted.

"I need a few more minutes!"

"We don't have that many!" I reminded him.

Krane looked up, a sick grin sliding across his face. He sent another blast wave at me and Adam, sending us back into the wall. Then he used his telekinesis to pick up metal objects from around the lab and contort them to wrap around our wrists and torsos, anchoring us to the wall. Adam and I struggled, but it was no use.

Krane marched over to Chase, who hastily threw another metal object behind him. Krane ducked to avoid it, and my brother spun around to face him. He threw a few punches and one kick, but Krane dodged them all. Chase took one more swing, and the bionic man grabbed his wrist—and shoved.

Chase yelped, and I looked away. Still, the sound of bones cracking echoed throughout the room. Chase dropped to his knees. Krane continued to push; he continued to scream. When he finally stopped, I looked up to see my baby brother on the floor, clutching his hand to his chest.

"Chase!" Adam screamed. His body shaking with rage, he wrested himself free of the metal and then broke me free as well. I sped over to Chase as Adam took on Krane once more.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Chase nodded, the blood on his forehead glinting in the light. Without a word he ripped off the cuffs of his pants and began to use them to wrap up his hand. I caught a glimpse of his bloody and deformed hand, and the breath hitched in my throat.

"Just a flesh wound," he said with a teasing grin.

Chase stood up, his right hand pinned between his side and his left arm. He staggered over to the computer and began typing with one hand.

"Are you sure you can even do that?" I asked.

"I have to try, don't I?"

"Krane just crushed your hand!"

Chase looked at me, his expression solemn. "And he'll do a lot worse to all those people if we don't stop him. So get out there and watch my back!"

I nodded and ran over to join Adam, but I couldn't help looking back at Chase every few seconds. Every motion he made showed how much pain he was in. Hey, I might tease Chase a lot—and find him incredibly annoying—but that doesn't mean I don't care for him!

My concern for Chase gave Krane an opening; he used my preoccupation to his advantage and threw me across the room. I groaned, rolling over and silently begging Adam to take that maniac down.

Adam roared and charged Krane, but he was ready. Krane grabbed my brother's neck and brought a knee up into his stomach, then a fist into his back. Adam collapsed, but he was up again almost immediately.

Krane held up his hand and shot electricity at Adam. My older brother stumbled back, shaking his head in pain. Krane did it again, and again. Finally Adam sank to his knees, shuddering and moaning.

Meanwhile, Chase still typed away with one hand, the sweat now mixing with the blood on his forehead. His shook with even the slightest movement, but he kept pushing forward because it's what he does. Still, seeing him in so much pain—and now Adam, too—cut me to the core.

"That's it!" I shouted, jumping to my feet and speeding at Krane, tackling him to the floor.

We wrestled around for a few moments until both of us stood up. I frowned and ran circles around Krane—literally. Every so often I threw an unseen punch to catch him off guard. These were the times where I wished I had more abilities, but I would have to make do with what I had.

Krane growled and grabbed me with his telekinesis. I struggled, but it didn't do any good. Krane threw me back into the wall— _hard_. I sank to the floor, holding my head. He walked up and looked down at me.

"You, my dear, are the only thing standing between me and ruling the galaxy," he growled. "You and your brothers _will_ fall."

"Not a chance," I growled back. "You'll have to kill us first."

"That can be arranged." He held up his hands and shot lightning at me. I screamed and fell forward, gasping for breath.

Before Krane could react, I stood and raced across the room. He turned and walked toward me, shooting lightning again. I stood my ground, figuring if Chase could stand the pain, so could I.

Then the lightning stopped, and instead Krane picked me up again. He telekinetically threw me into the wall, and the stone groaned underneath me. My ears began to ring, but I ignored the irritating buzzing. I started to get up, but Krane grabbed me again and threw me into the wall once more. I could feel the blood trickling down the back of my head and my vision grew fuzzy.

"Just a minute more!" Chase shouted, but he sounded very far away.

Adam stood and shot heat vision at Krane's back, but it did no good. Krane turned and sent a blast at Adam, knocking him off his feet once more. Then Krane spun around and grinned at me—the evil kind of grin that makes chills run down your spine.

I tried to get to my feet, but Krane picked me up again and threw me like a rag doll. My neck snapped backward so far I thought it would break clean in two. My head hit the wall before anything else and the world went black for a moment.

It felt as if someone had shoved a hammer into my brain. At this point, I couldn't even keep my eyes open. Krane had gone as far as he could possibly go, and my limbs wouldn't respond to the command to get up. My vision grew worse and I could feel the darkness settling in. Everything felt surreal—everything but the pain. I could feel myself slipping away.

 _No, not now! Not now! People need you! You need to stop Krane! You can't stop now!_

I thought that perhaps, deep down, there was a smidgen of strength that I could use to get up and fight back, to push myself up and charge Krane like the bionic hero I am. I searched for it, and, at the moment I was ready to give up, I found it. My arms moved to push my body upwards, my legs took up some of the work, and I looked up to see Adam fighting back against Krane a few feet away away from where I stood.

As I finally staggered to my feet, however, Krane noticed me. He threw Adam back and stood with his arms raised and eyes closed. Debris began to rain down from the ceiling, and I knew Krane would loosen as much as he could and bring it down on top of me. My legs weakened and gave way under me, dropping me face-first into the cement.

Somewhere deep inside I knew that I had to run, that I had to get up and move away, but I just couldn't. Next thing I knew, several good-sized rocks fell on me, crushing what seemed to be every area of my body. _This must be what it feels like to be buried alive_ , I thought, biting my lip to keep from screaming—not that I thought I had the strength for even that.

"Bree!"

"Bree!"

I heard my name called twice, but the rocks had knocked all sense—all will—straight out of my head. Everything hurt too much. I couldn't possibly get up now. My strength was gone.

 _Sorry, Adam and Chase._

 _Sorry, Davenport._

 _Sorry, Plenus._

Right as I closed my eyes and let the darkness take over, I saw the timer on the wall click over from a one to a zero.

* * *

 _0:00_

* * *

 **Oh . . . oh . . . you thought I was going to let them** ** _win_** **? Haha, you guys are a riot! Let them win. Ha!**

 **This story has hardly begun. I'm hoping it'll get up to around 50 chapters or so. I'm not starting it off with them** ** _winning_** **. No way!**

 **Hmm, probably not my best work. I wrote this several months ago. (Maybe a year or so? Whoops.) My writing's improved a lot, I think, but I didn't feel like going back to rewrite that all. XD But it's passable, right? Hope you still enjoyed it.**

 **Reviews are welcomed but not required. But they do often remind me to update stories I've almost forgotten about. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like. Hopefully I won't keep you guys waiting another half-a-year to find out what happens, but, unfortunately, no promises. :( Starting my junior year of high school, planning for college, participating in NaNoWriMo in November to work on my original stuff, reading books so I can write better (I've read 12 books this summer and I've still got 8 more that I haven't read yet!) . . . yeah. But I will try my hardest. Pinky-promise. Yes, reviews may help. ;)**

 **With that awful cliffhanger fresh in your mind, I hopefully won't make you wait long to find out the twists coming up in Chapter 8: Welcome to the War. Love you all! Bye!**


End file.
